The Lone Jinchuuriki
by ScldHeart
Summary: Ever since her fourth birthday, Naru has held a sadness in her heart that is surrounded by darkness. And on the day of graduation, she is determined to leave the hatred of Konoha behind her. However, fate has other plans that involve five of the most powerful Konoha Nin coming back from the dead. Slight Dark Naru, Smart Naru, Edo-Tensei, Bloodlines(Current Ch-30 Finale)
1. I Pilot

**Hello fellow Naruto fans! I finally decided to post this story, as it has been on my computer for months. I have tried to improve the grammar and plot through that time, but it may still have flukes. I'm also going back to Public School, so I the updates may be, lengthy. Yay, High School! At least I have two siblings who can help me if needed. Well anyways, this story is about a Dark Female Naruto, you have been warned. I've figured out where I want this story to go, but ideas are welcome. Creative Criticism is welcome, but no flames. There is some Sakura and Sasuke bashing to begin with, but it will get better. Currently Naru is easy to manipulate, and simply wants to do her sister proud, since she's all she had. She'll start by pushing away those trying to get close to her, but will soften and care for her friends and 'family' later on. Please Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, but if I did…well let's just say there would be more stuff on bloodlines. (I'm obsessed!)**

 _The metallic smell of blood surrounded the red haired girl who lay on the ground as the skies raged overhead, wind blowing leaves around her in a frightening display of power. The child didn't seem to notice the noise or that she was becoming soaked in rain, she was too busy crying as she held another body to her chest. Rain fell down her cheeks that would have been stained with tears had the rain not washed it away, her entire body shaking in emotional pain. The body below her was a girl with the same size as her, the key differences between them being her very light skin, dark cyan short hair, and the gaping hole in her chest. Slowly the water was cleaning the blood from both of their clothes, the blue haired girl's blood drying. The girl's shirt was torn, raw red claw marks going over her bare pale stomach. The other red haired girl's shirt was also torn to reveal her stomach, a seal revealed there. The seal was slowly growing with different swirls and lines, chakra feeding itself into her from her dead counterpart. "D-Don't…Don't leave me alone Sashiko…P-Please don't leave me alone…" She spoke softly and continued to cry as she shook, her eyes a dark red with one singular black dot inside. The girl continued to whimper and cry for her lost friend in the rain._

I~~~~I

Blonde locks fell down against sunkissed skin, a jacket covered back pressed to an oak tree beside a tombstone, the girl eating lunch as her fingers trailed the engravings on the tombstone absently. The name written on the stone was a horrible reminder of not only the girl's horrible handwriting, but of her darling sister. Years ago, so many years ago…she and her sister had stopped by this very spot thinking they were safe from the hate filled villagers…how wrong they were. Clenching her hand she brought it away from the stone to finish her lunch.

"See you Sashi, I have class to attend." Her voice was soft and kind, a tone reserved for only Sashiko. Naruko set down flowers by the grave like she did every week, before standing. Her hands dusted off her pants, her dulled blue eyes looking up at the row of trees. Her eyes centered on the building several yards away, painted deep red on the walls while the roof tiles were yellow. It radiated the promise of greatness, despite it merely being nothing more than a daycare for wannabe Ninja and Kunoichi. It irritated her how village she lived in looked, and how two faced the people in it could be. She had always wanted to be loved…to have a real family and not be hated for imply existing. However, it seemed to be too much to want one person even. Naru wanted and still wants her sister back. The tempting possibility of getting to see the soft smile, of watching her grow up and to not come home to an empty house left an ache in her chest even now. Sashiko had never gotten to truly live after all; she was barely nearing five years old when she had died. Naru sighed and brushed the thoughts and emotions away before she did something stupid, replacing her downcast face with her cheerful façade. She knew that the Anbu had been watching her little display with the grave, but she didn't care. Letting her façade fall for a few moments with Shashi was well worth the worry Jiji had for her health, mental and physical.

Naruko knew Sarutobi Hiruzen cared for her and she didn't take the feelings he had for her for granted, but even if he tried to make it better it never changed the fact that he didn't understand the pain she felt. He was old and was very intimate with pain, however it didn't change the facts. His family had died with time and he was an only child and didn't know the sibling bond that Naru had. She too was technically an only child, but she had been with Sashiko since birth. She had shared a room with her in the orphanage, and had even looked at the apartment Jiji got for them with her. They had watched the sakura trees bloom and had trained together. Jiji had merely pushed the two of them along, never really paying attention to the growing malice the villagers possessed nor the escalating displays of that hatred. He would rather deny it then try and do something about it back then, and more than likely was still denying the fact now. Naru ignored the pain in her chest as she rushed towards her classroom. She needed to pay attention to what she was doing after all, her emotions would only get in the way at the moment. Her head may wander and she may act like the village idiot, but she wanted whatever power she could get. She needed to get out of the hell hole that was Konoha, the place that had ruined her in more ways than just physically. Naru may have been born here but both her family and soul had died in the village, and she didn't want to give it anything else to take away.

Another sigh echoed through her head in order to prepare herself before she burst into her classroom, striding in with her faked idiotic grin. The lingering want to show them all who she really was pushed against her mental barriers, but she didn't want to get into trouble for 'Copying Sasuke-Kun' or give the ANBU anything more to speculate on. At the reminder that she actually was like the brooding Uchiha in a way, Naru shivered. Sasuke's fan club hated her, because she was the only girl that hated the stupid brat. His behavior was a disgrace to the Uchiha name, Sashiko's family name. The mere thought he was even inadvertedly screwing with Sashiko's name pissed her off to no end.

Naru turns to the class and makes sure to send a hidden glare to the Uchiha and release a little bit of killer intent, subsiding the groans and small bickers, as well as stopping the glares aimed at her head. She may have learned to ignore them, however today hadn't been the best. Her sensei Umino Iruka, a brunette with a car on his nose and hazel eyes, sighed at the gloom in the room and smiled down at her, telling her to take her seat. She did as told, her chest contracting again as she moved to the top row. A faint memory of Sashiko calling the highest branch for watching the fireworks flying through her head. She shook it off, instead making sure no one was up there.

Naruko preferred being alone when she was in public, however with Shikimaru and Choji beside the only open seat at the top, she had no choice but to sit by them. Giving them both her 'signature' grin, the blonde took her seat and faced turned Iruka. While she maintained a bored aura she also listened to the lecture. She could learn some things from the lessons, but not all of the knowledge was in the words. Years of being beat mentally accompanied by the hundreds of therapy sessions she had with Jiji made reading people her second nature. She would often watch Iruka's hand movements, note his stutters and the way he reacted to certain questions the children asked him. She studied his lips and learned how to read them from that, and she was now learning how his eyes adjusted to different scenarios. His shoulders hunched backward whenever he was ready to yell, and his nose and shoulders dropped whenever he was close to giving up. His hands moved higher and made more motions as he became happier, and his body tensed whenever something was about to go wrong. It may have seemed extreme to do so much research on a teacher, but Iruka was merely a test dummy.

The blonde jinchuuriki was already moving on to Mizuki, a teachers aid if one could call him such. His silver hair was chopped at his shoulders and he wore his headband as a bandana over his head, his eyes a dangerous gold. He had an underlying agenda and surely didn't care for the brats in the class. She'd read him enough to know he was more than bad news. To make it worse, he directed most of his stupid ire on her. She had nearly ripped his head off when she found him stalking her home. That was a day she had decided to go to Jiji's without an actual reason. She made it seem like she missed him, screwing with the man's head a bit. While she didn't like hurting him like she had been hurt, Naru also knew in a way he had allowed Shashi to be killed, so her ire wasn't completely misdirected.

Still…Naruko closed her eyes, feigning boredom with an overzealous yawn. She hated acting like someone else and hurting the one person she could actually care for…she'd learned to pretend soon after Shashi was torn from her, however, so the habit wasn't going to go away. Even after she left Konoha Naruto knew she would have to work extra hard just to keep from slipping back into her façade. Another yawn slipped from her lips and she opened her eyes and rested her head in the palm of her hands while her elbows rested on the desk, blinking away fake sleep as she waited for the bell while listening to Iruka's lecture. The pedophile Mizuki was staring at her now, and she was getting annoyed again. Naru groaned inwardly at the attention and wished for something else to do already. This day was already shitty, with her food being spoilt, the hallway leading to her apartment room vandalized, and the ANBU intruding on her personal moment with her sister all piling on top of one another. Her eye twitched when she realized that she had yet another thing to add to the list. Shikimaru was studying her now, surveying and trying to get a read on what was inside her head. Naru wished him good luck silently. He was after all the one who had given her the idea to start studying people, because on top of cloud watching that was the only other real thing the lazy boy enjoyed, so she supposed she didn't have to hate him nearly as much as she hated the other Genin. She turned to look at him and he quickly looked back at his paper, muttering 'troublesome' under his breath as she sighed and closed her eyes.

Several minutes later and the bell had finally rung, setting Naru free from the prison that was the classroom. She hated sitting for long unless it was outside. In fact, that aspect about her was one of them that was actually a part of her real personality. Her hands pressed into her pockets as she touched her chest. Her heart beat steadily, however that didn't mean she wasn't ready to panic. The fabric of her black top soft against her fingertips. Bandages wrapped around her stomach and legs, fishnet going down her arms to her wrists, and from her legs to her ankles. She wore a black skirt going a few inches above her knees, and had her pouches on her arm, leg and waist. She wore a shoulder guard above her pouch on her right arm, and a forearm guard for her left.

The relieved girl closed her eyes as she walked, searching her mind for that crazed red chakra that she could always fall back on. It was something she had done enough times for it to be considered her hobby. She had been five the first time she had discovered what was inside of her. The Kyuubi No Kitsune, or Nine Tailed Fox. Despite her relying on him for jutsu or help with her techniques, Naruko knew that he was often annoyed when she visited him. His ire toward her random and mostly horribly timed visits didn't change the fact that Kurama was the only one she could talk to. Kurama, the name paired with the tails. It was a nice name, one that rolled off her tongue. Naruko enjoyed speaking it to herself when she was alone, though the fox would often tease her for it. She was the only one that he had ever trusted his name with however, the only one he had told about his brothers and even spoke to without sarcastic jibes or his almighty tone. Ever since the day he told her his name she never ceased to call him by it, no matter how much he teased her or stated his mock-regret over telling her. **"Damnit…bugging me already Kit?"**

While the Kyuubi sounded feral and pissed, Naru knew that he enjoyed their little chats to an extent. _'Yup, now stop complaining. We have some investigating to do.'_ He sighs and grumbles again, before listening to her case. **"I seriously don't get you…**

A faint real smile appeared on her face before it disappeared as quickly as it settled on her face. Kurama could only grin and chuckle at her with a faint hint of malice that always echoed behind his words. **"Fine. Let's go then brat."**

Azure orbs opened to afternoon light, and Naruko became pleasantly surprised to find she had reached the pear. That left either a quick swim or walk and she'd be where she wanted to be. However, a spot of black caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed and she felt hate come off her in waves as she spotted the child. Sasuke Uchiha. She felt like dashing over and shoving him in, to see if he could swim. He put shame to Shashiko's family name…or at least to Shashi's father's. He turned to her, and she looked away. Anyone seeing the emotion on her face, her true feelings, would need to be killed by her hand. And while she wouldn't mind ending the 'last' Uchiha…much, she didn't want to be here longer than she should. Killing the Uchiha Heir with a pole up his ass would do just that. She sensed him glaring at her and merely walked onward. She would need to hurry if she wanted to reach her destination before dinner. **"Should have killed him…"**

Kurama's comment was ignored and the blonde continued toward the Uchiha compound entrance. She needed to go to the underground tombs to test the ability gifted to her sister again, to read the other lines imprinted on the sacred stone in the secret meeting room inside the Uchiha gathering house, under the fourth tatami matt down the second row.

I~~~~I

Naru opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as cold sweat dripped down her face and shoulders. She sat up and removed the blankets around her shaking form and instead she wound her arms around herself, letting out a soft sob as she recalled her dream. "S-Sashiko…" The dream, of her and her sister both alive and picking flowers, had struck deep inside and brought out her buried emotions. It had only gotten worse when Sashi had vanished into the woods and left her alone while the meadow began to burn to the ground and blood had flown upward out of the dirt and dragged her down under the ground. Naru quickly wiped at her eyes once her shaking had been controlled.

Carefully she stood and slowly walked to the bathroom to clean herself up. A sigh left her lips as she washed her face, staring at it in the mirror as water fell down in drops across her whiskered cheeks. She flinched at the sight of her sharingan activated, quickly deactivating it before the ANBU guarding her apartment noticed the difference in her chakra flow. She exited the bathroom and walked to her door, grabbing her black coat, slipping it over her orange tank top that she had worn to bed. The coat went down to her knees, where she wore black shorts covering her legs, and had white chakra bandages spiraling up from her feet to her thighs. She stepped into her sandals and grabbed a storage scroll with shuriken and kunai inside, exiting and locking her door behind her.

I~~~~I

Naru stared at the notice on the billboard in the academy. Her blue eyes hardened as she read through the poster. 'Posted, Genin Exams at the End of the Week.'

The blonde scoffed inwardly, Kurama laughing softly at the big deal they were making of such a small thing. "I'll pass anyways."

Her voice was void as she pulled away from the board, only to come face to face with Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino. It wasn't too rare to see the three together, since they were partnered clans, and their parents were on the same Team.

Shikamaru was staring at her with furrowed brows, Ino glaring daggers at her as Choji waved in her direction, munching on a bag of chips like always. The Jinchuuriki flinched slightly, but managed a fake smile at her classmates, making up an excuse about having to go before running down the hall, toward the back exit. She hoped Shikamaru didn't read too much into her odd behavior. The Nara was smarter than he let on, and was able to read her better than most. Naruko blamed the fact on the Nara's being good friends of Shashiko's mother though.

Removing the thoughts from her head, Naru glanced back toward the academy before running towards Training Ground 12. She wanted to surprise the Instructors this time around. She'd allow herself to show off this once, just to guarantee she passed. It didn't matter if she scored at the top or the bottom of the class, as long as she got her headband. She panted softly and stopped as she entered a clearing, about ten wood dummies set up in a line near the back, a pond to the side, as well as a set of faded targets. She quickly grabbed her pouch, dropping the kunai and shuriken out onto her palm, looking up at the target set up about 20 feet away. She gripped her Kunai, and doing as Kurama had taught her, forced her wind chakra into it just as she threw it, the blade flying straight through the little branches in its way. It stuck into the second ring, making her sigh. She needed more practice for sure.

I~~~~I

Naru stared into the mirror as she pulled her bright orange coat around her larger than average chest, her blue eyes losing as she sighed. "Well Sashi…today's the day."

Azure orbs opened as her lips twisted into a sly smirk. "Today's the day I leave the Village."

And with that, she zipped up her jacket and took off out of the bathroom, grabbing the frog wallet she got from Sarutobi for her birthday off the counter (Comically named Gama-Chan.), grabbing her bento box and the roses by the door. She would visit Sashi today and then be on her way to explore the world, to become someone more than the Jinchuuriki with no home. Most importantly, she'd do what Shashi had always dreamed of doing. Bringing back to Oreshizoku Clan. ('The Many Clans')

She barely noticed the hateful glares as she panted, hurrying toward the academy. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She would get her headband, no she would _earn_ her headband. And then she'd leave. It sounded weird and ridiculous, especially since she wanted nothing to do with Konoha anymore, but to her, it wasn't. It wasn't idiotic because Sashi had wanted to become a ninja of Konoha all her short life. And for Sashiko, dead or alive, Naruto would do anything to make her happy. She'd even destroy the world she supposed. Shaking her head Naru finally stopped at the Academy entrance, a grin on her face. This one wasn't even faked, for she finally felt her freedom was within her reach. Letting out a soft sigh she hurried to her classroom. She stopped again to open the door and call a good morning to Iruka, whom jumped in surprise, barely any students actually there. For her to be early, well it wasn't something that happened often. He waved and said a soft good morning, casting a smile at her.

Now that she thought about it, she might actually miss her little test subject. He was of the few that never glared at her or spoke unkind words to her back. She hopped up the steps to the back of the class, seating herself beside Shino and Hinata, Shikamaru and Choji as well as Kiba and Akimaru the only others there. Hinata whispered a hello and Naru offered a warm smile, though this one was slightly faked. She didn't want attachments to the people around her. She didn't want the hassle that came with loving and losing, at least not in Konoha.

Hinata blushed more at the reply and stared down at her hands, Naru inwardly rolling her eyes at the girl's shyness. If the girl got over that she'd be one amazing Kunoichi. Self-esteem was a ninjas greatest faults though, if it grew to the point of pride. She pulled herself from her thoughts to watch the students file in, some sneering at her and whispering how she had no chance. She only smirked back, allowing the feral nature of the Kyuubi to show through. Some cowered and others simply rushed to their seats. _'Thanks.'_ A loud snort echoed through her head. **'It's going to snow.'**

The blonde huffed inwardly at his sarcastic remark. Naru did thank him, sometimes. Okay maybe this was one of the few times, or even the first time she had ever thanked him. _'Sorry Kurama.'_ He snorted again but didn't justify her with a reply. She simply ignored the pouting Kitsune. **'I'm not pouting damn it, stupid Kit.'**

Pale lips had to hold back a smile at his remark, the owner of said lips relaxing in her seat as the last of the annoying fangirls filed into the room behind their _beloved Sasuke-kun_. The mentioned Heir looked up at her, and Naru found him glaring up at her. She offered a toothy grin, mainly because she enjoyed ticking him off. She also knew why he was angered with her. He had followed her to the Uchiha compound, before she had ditched him with ease. She'd have to go back again later before she left. She had unlocked the third Tomoe after training yesterday, and would prefer to read the rest of what the tablet had to offer.

Finally Iruka called to the Class, holding papers as Mizuki stood beside him with more papers. "Alright Class, we all know that you are eager to finally take the next step and become Genin, but before that we need to test your skills. Each test is worth 100 Points, and there will be four in total, for a total of 400. You need only 300 to pass, however you must know all of the academy jutsu's, and if you want extra credit, then you can perform a clan jutsu as well to earn 10 extra points. Alright now Mizuki will be passing Tests around for you. There are a total of 25 questions, and each is worth 4 points. You have an hour to complete the test."

The brunette sensei smiled softly at the class. "Good Luck!" The Tests began to filter around the room, Naru staring at the back of her paper with intrigue, before she took her pencil and readied to write. No goofing around, she needed to do this for Sashiko. "You may begin!"

Right then she flipped over her test, the rustle of paper filling the room, just before pencils began scribbling down answers. She read through the sentences with a bit more trouble than normal. She had taught herself to read and the few lessons with Jiji had helped some, but she wasn't nearly as fast at reading as she was at hand signs or fighting. She quickly scribbled though, her handwriting taking a neat curve. Writing had come slightly easier since the Academy had focused on their writing, for Kanji and normal in order to decipher their teammates messages. She flew through the first few questions, which were about the main rules in the shinobi world, and finally scrolled down to the 13th question. 'What are the Guardian Shinobi Twelve of Fire Country most easily recognized by?'

She nearly scoffed at the absurd easiness of the question. Asuma was one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, and he proudly displayed it with his sash. 'The Shinobi Twelve are best recognized by the white sash normally attached to their waist, holding the kanji of the Fire Nation.'

With that finished she continued on(debating inwardly about why the hell a Genin needed to know such), using her base knowledge to its fullest. Kurama's advanced knowledge wasn't needed for such a stupid test. She finally landed on the last question. It surprised her somewhat actually. It was so easy after all. 'What are the main ranks of Shinobi and what are they classified as?'

Another sigh left her lips as Naru quickly jotted down her answer. 'The main ranks of shinobi are Genin, rookie ninja, Chunin, mid-level ninja, Jonin, High level Ninja, Anbu, Guardians of the Kage, and Kage, the Leader of a Hidden Village.' Silently she debated adding in the ranks of ANBU but decided against it since she wasn't technically supposed to know them. After she had checked her answers with a few glances, the Jinchuuriki set her pencil down on her long desk. She rested her head on her desk as she looked up to Iruka. He was walking around to make sure students didn't cheat, Mizuki doing the same. However Mizuki caught her glance, and smirked. She flinched and quickly looked back at her papers. Soon after Iruka called the time, some unpleased groans sounding from around the room, others cheering softly for finishing. Out of curiosity, she glanced over to Shikamaru, and found him staring at her. He still seemed bored, but his expression told her he was onto her. He looked slightly surprised, but she only smiled and waved at him as Iruka called the students up to the front in groups.

"Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Aburamai Shino, and Akimichi Choji please follow me outside. The rest of you go with Mizuki-Sensei."

Iruka led them outside, Naru leaning her head back against her hands as her arms wrapped around the back of her head, Sasuke moving and grabbing her shoulder. She glanced back at him and frowned at the sight of his glare. "Of course I'd be right next to you, Teme." Naur had wanted to avoid him, but no one always got what they wanted. He glared in response to her sarcastic remark. "What were you doing at the Uchiha compound?"

The Uchiha brat hissed out the words, his voice barely above a whisper. Naruko chose to use Kurama's enhanced hearing in order to catch any future questions/demands. "Nothing you need to be worried about, Teme."

The nicknamed Sasuke growled softly at her in annoyance. Not a moment later Shikamaru stepped in and pulled Sasuke's hand off of Naru's shoulder, cutting between them both. "Lay off Uchiha."

Naru glanced to Shikamaru and sighed softly. "I don't need protection from him Shika, he's nothing more than a boy with a pole shoved up his ass."

Shikamaru turned to her and muttered about woman being troublesome woman while Sasuke assumed the position of a gaping fish. In a childish gesture the Uzumaki stuck out her tongue, Kiba laughing behind them all as he whispered about a roasting. "Nice going Naru." Naru simply rolled her eyes at the dog lover, turning back to Iruka as she was tired of walking backwards. He glanced back at them and raised a brow to ask if they were done, before smiling at his bright blonde student. The girl turned away with a huff at his actions. Why was everyone but the Teme being nice? She didn't want any attachments to Konoha, none. Another sigh slipped from her mouth, Iruka frowning at his Student's obvious lack of enthusiasm towards the exam or prospect of becoming a Genin.

The Sensei turned back though and led them to the training grounds, new targets set up on the perfectly aligned trees. He turned around, back to the targets as everyone filed onto the space. "The next test is for your weapons. You'll get 5 shuriken and 5 Kunai. The middle ring is worth 10 points for every weapon, and the outer rings are as follows, 5, 2, and 1. Alright then. You may throw the weapons all at once or you may throw them one at a time."

He smiled reassuringly at everyone and held up his clip board to read off the first one. "Uzumaki Naruko."

Naru carefully took the weapons from the stash Iruka had on a boulder. She studied the weapons, checking their sharpness. Her eyes then took in the pre-marked line where she was expected to make it from, and inwardly measured the distance. "Iruka-Sensei, may I go further back?"

Iruka's eyes widened as he looked at her, but nodded after a moment. This allowed her to step right up to the wall of the academy, leaving a foot of space between her and the red paint. She stared at the target before she glanced to her weapons, the fangirls calling her a show off, Sasuke scoffing at the front in a show of disrespect. "She'll never make it from there."

The Uchiha hissed out in pure arrogance, a sly smirk lifted on the lips of the devious blonde as she tapped into Kurama's chakra. She only took enough to enhance her sight, before taking five shuriken between each finger, tossing them one hand at a time. He enhanced vision allowed her to watch them fly and land in a row along the middle target, right where they should be. The girls began shouting about her cheating, Iruka clapping. "Well done Naru!" She only smiled, her lips twitching as she spied Sasuke's shocked face. She did the same with the kunai, watching as one enhanced one flew straight through the target into the rock behind it. She walked past Sasuke to Shikamaru and Kiba, the ladder of whom clapping her on the back, Akimaru yipping inside his hood. "Damn Naru! You could have told me you were actually good at this!"

Naru flinched but faked a grin, rubbing the back of her head. "I just practiced all last week."

And all the weeks and months before that. "Alright, Uchiha Sasuke, you're up."

Naru turned to watch Sasuke snap from his daze and go grab the shuriken and Kunai, the squeals of Ino and Sakura nearly deafening. Naru covered her ears, glaring back at the two girls who shouted for Sasuke to show her how to actually throw Kunai and Shuriken. Sasuke stepped right up to the wall, without any room, and Naru smirked. Having no arm room to throw would lessen the accuracy. And the draft from the air vent above would cause a slight miscalculation anyways. He threw soon after, landing 9 on the bulls eye, the las one an inch off. His eyes widened, and he turned to glare at Naru, only to find her talking to a laughing Iruka.

After going through the rest of the group, Iruka moved them on to hand to hand, Shikimaru and Naru ending up paired. Shikimaru forfeited though, leaving Naru as the winner. She stepped forward, and held out two fingers to him, and he copied her movements, their fingers encasing each other's like a handshake, before they let go and walked off the matt. This left Iruka to mark off the standings before calling up the next pair. Several pairs later they had finally finished, and were moving on to the Ninjutsu part. Iruka had moved them into the classroom to wait for their names to be called. Naru set her head down on her desk, closing her eyes briefly, keeping her ears open for any sound of her name. _'Kurama, we are finally going to get out of here…away from the glares and fake love.'_

 **"I know Kit. Don't think this means I owe you anything though brat, got it?"**

 _'Yah, whatever.'_ She opened her eyes again just as her name was called. Snickers drifted around the class. It seemed even after her little display she was still considered an idiot. She flipped them off behind her back, following Mizuki out. She heard a small screech as the door closed, and brought her fingers back around her chest in a more appropriate fashion. "You know Naru, that wasn't very ladylike."

Azure glanced up to meet onyx and a smirk twisting on the ugly mug Mizuki sported. Naruko scoffed before she spoke to her former Sensei, the distaste she had for the man no longer hidden behind a façade. "Whatever. Being a girl isn't the best thing in the world. You have to deal with the 'too many feelings' crap."

Her former Sensei chuckles, stopping in his stride to glance back at her as his eyes light up with a knowing glint. "Like the death of Sashiko Oreshizoku?"

Naru's eyes snapped to Mizuki's in an enraged fashion with a steely glare as her pupils turned to slits. "Bastard."

Mizuki's smirk only grew to be more mocking. "You might want to reconsider your name calling Naruko. After all…I know about a Jutsu that can bring back the dead."

With only those few words, the traitor had her undivided attention.

I~~~~I

Naru dashed through the trees, eyes wide and frantic. She had passed the Exams with flying colors, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to leave. That didn't mean the glares would stop. But, the tempting thought of bringing Sashi back, the possibility of seeing her smile once more…that is what had made her do this for Mizuki. He wanted the scroll, and she wanted her sister back. It was a fair deal in her eyes. She didn't give a damn about the village. It had caused her pain, and she'd enjoy doing the same to it. She channeled chakra into her eyes, exposing her Sharingan. She finally stopped, panting as she touched the large paper scroll on her back. She took it off, leaning back on a tree as she regained her breath. Silently she observed her surroundings. She was surprised to find no Anbu had followed her out into the forest. Guess her Shadow Clone had worked after all. It had taken several tries, but after looking through Jiji's scrolls one last time, she had been able to make the Shadow Clones with ease.

A soft wistful smile drifted over her lips whilst she looked at the scroll in her hands. Anxiety flowed through her veins as she felt tears build up in her eyes. Sashiko, she'd finally see her again. The thought forced her into motion and Naruko unlocked the seal around the forbidden scroll. She laid it on the ground, setting rocks on the ends to keep it down. Finishing that she starting to read through the Kanji, feeling beads of sweat form as she browsed the contents. It was only a matter of time before the other teachers and Jonin heard about what she did. And when they did, they'd have an excuse to try and kill her.

Finally the title she was looking for caught her eyes, the name that Mizuki had whispered to her before she had left the academy with her headband around her arm. "Edo Tensei…"

Her entire being filled with hope, and she scrolled through the basics. She landed on the second paragraph, and her breath left her. "A blood sacrifice is required, whether it be human or not."

The words ran through Naru's head over and over. Most would think not would mean an animal…but to her it meant something entirely different. To her it meant the use of Blood Style, another bloodline given to her by her sister. _'Kurama, will you give me part of her chakra?'_ Kurama didn't respond for a moment, before huffing. **"I still don't think you should do this kit."**

Naru shook from the amount of anxiety coursing through her. "Kurama, now!"

The pressure and sadness in her vice seemed to snap him out of his somewhat worry, and seconds later she felt a burning sensation through her limbs and chest. It coiled, and she stood, reading over the hand signs once more before she did her own set, ending on the ram seal. "Blood style, Blood duplication Jutsu!"

Before her, in the middle of the scroll, scarlet chakra began building up, forming a solid copy of her. It stared back, awaiting orders. She panted softly, but grinned. "Yes." Bringing the extra chakra to the surface, she went through the hand signs for Edo Tensei. "Edo Tensei!"

The desperate Jinchuuriki bit into her thumb, drawing blood before slamming her palm down on the ground, a string of red chakra shooting out flying to the clone. The Clone was then sucked down into the black abyss between the red lines, several more lines forming around her. Naru's eyes widened as she saw several coffins rise up. Her world began to tilt and her vision burned red at the edges, Kurama trying to get her to stay awake as she hit the ground by the scroll and began convulsing, puking up her own blood chakra. Once she had puked up the last of it, she lay on the ground before the four coffins, shaking in pain. Distantly she heard yelling, and soon her head was propped on a lap, her eyes faced towards a worried Iruka. He stared at her, tears building in his own eyes as he gently shook her. "Naruko! Naru damn it you are a part of this village, you can't die."

The words sounded strange coming from Iruka's mouth, as strange as the thought of someone worried for her. She supposed he had already taken care of Mizuki, based on the scratches on his face and how he wasn't looking around for enemies.

"Don't bother. She used too much chakra. She'll be fine in a few moments. If she was going to die she would have already."

The dull voice made both of their senses go on alert, and their eyes turned to the coffins. Standing by one of them was a man in blue armor with a black wetsuit under it, ninja sandals, and leaf headband shaped like an upside down U hanging over his blue eyes. His white hair poked out of the top of it in small spikes, white fur surrounding his neck while black fingerless gloves covered his hands. Naru blinked, and froze. Iruka himself stared in shock at the man before them. "L-Lord S-Second."

Iruka's voice shook, and Naru swiftly pulled herself from his lap, her eyes wide in horror as she stared at the man, even though her eyes seemed to be staring at something else. Then the weight of it all fell on her as she looked to the other coffins, and found the First Hokage standing beside the Fourth Hokage in Senju armor, and finally, beside a man wearing red armor, the fan the Uchiha were fond of on his back. She grit her teeth as she felt her anger build within her gut. She stood even though she wobbled, which set her Sensei into a slight panic. Iruka shot up after her, and told her to take it easy. She turned sharply, her eyes red with slit pupils as her anger spiked enough for it to be felt by those around her. _"It wasn't supposed to be them!"_

The words were hissed it out of the confused and angry blonde's lips, before Naru reared back her fist and slammed it into the nearest tree. Fangs protruded from the corners of her mouth as the tree split under the force of her anger. A crater grew where her fist now resided. A log flew from the impact and hit another tree nearby. Both of the wood constructs toppled as tears continued to build in Naru's eyes. "Sashiko…"

Naruko felt to her knees and gripped the ground as her tears fell onto it, her eyes changing once more. The slit pupil turned into three small dots surrounding a larger dot in the middle. "D-Damn it…"

Naru felt a hand on her back, and glanced up, finding the Second Hokage standing above her. Iruka stood back behind him, looking distraught. "You have the Sharingan." The Nidaime eyes were narrowed as she chuckled harshly at his statement. Slowly Naru stood whilst she remained silent, the man with the dark spiky hair and black eyes, most likely an Uchiha, staring into her eyes with interest as she turned towards the coffins. She drained the chakra from her eyes, forcing the red hue to turn to a raging blue. Her entire expression, her body language all spoke of the pain and anguish she still felt. Her gaze moved to the First Hokage, whom was staring at her in slight worry, his eyes cracked and paper like, just like the Second and Fourth's. Remembering the Fourth, she turned to the blonde haired male. He stared at her in shock and in sadness. His spiky yellow hair vibrant against the dark silhouette of the forest looming over the small clearing near a storage shed behind him. He wore a Jonin vest and the same black wetsuit, with Thunder God kunai strapped to his side. She narrowed her eyes on him in distaste. "You sealed Kurama."

The Nidaime furrowed his brow as he stood beside her. The Fourth was slightly surprised at being addressed, while the Uchiha and the First both shared a glance. Naru simply shook her head at their insolence. "If you're going to try to destroy a Tailed Beast, at least learn its real name, bastard." The Yondaime reared back in obvious shock as she stuffed her hands into her pockets, looking to the village as she waited for something. It took only moments, before Sarutobi appeared in the clearing. The newly arrived ninja reared back soon after he noted the extra's in the clearing. "About time, _Jiji_." The amount of hatred in Naruko's voice shook the older man, her uncaring gaze hitting him harder. She stalked past him, not even caring when Sarutobi tried to call after her to stop.

I~~~~I

Naru laid back on the couch in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sitting at his chair while Uchiha Madara, Namikaze Minato, Senju Tobirama, and Senju Hashirama all stood before him. He rubbed his temples as Naru stared at the sealing, completely void of any emotion. Madara spoke first, his black eyes drifting to Naru. "How exactly does a non Uchiha have a Sharingan, without you knowing?"

Naru chuckled, answering before Sarutobi could. "My adopted sister Shashiko was an Uchiha, or at least partially, and she gave me her eyes before she died. She also gave me her Blood Style Bloodline."

A soft sigh left her lips as Naru sat up. "Her full name was Sashiko Koran Oreshizoku, daughter of the Blue Butterfly, Michiko Uzumaki."

The Yondaime stopped her from saying anything else by speaking. "You were trying to bring her back, weren't you?"

Naru only smiled without any real feeling put into it before speaking. "And if I was? Would you call me childish for wanting to bring the dead back to life?"

The man flinched, and looked to Sarutobi in sadness, who turned to Naru as he took a deep breath. He sighed to release the heated air and glared at his supposed grandchild. He didn't need to deal with her attitude right now. "Naruko, behave yourself."

The pissed blonde scoffed in annoyance and stood without asking to be dismissed, her eyes directing a glare to the Hokage. "Shut up Jiji, you're part of the reason she's dead."

With the words spoken in a hateful hiss, Naru stormed out of the room, eyes keeping the hollow look as she closed the door a lot gentler than what the others in the room had expected. Madara turned back to Sarutobi. The man being observed stared at his desk, eyes full of guilt. "How did she die?"

Sighing heavily, Sarutobi looked up toward the other occupants of the room. "She and Naru were running from the villagers…they claimed the demons they thought them to be had to die. They were all punished severely after the fact…"

Sarutobi clenched his hands together before deciding he should just get it over with. "She was stabbed through the back while deep gouges were made in her chest…and when they tried to do the same to Naru, Sashiko killed them with her Blood Style."

The Old shinobi looked straight at Madara without fear. "She would have healed, as would have Naru. They were both Jinchuuriki, which allowed them to heal faster…however Sashiko…didn't want her in pain so she focused all her chakra on the villagers. Her lung had been punctured when she was stabbed…She drowned."

He closed his eyes, his shoulders drooping as Madara paused. "I see."

As Madara headed outside he left the others with a warning. "I'm going to go talk to her. Follow me and I won't agree to not destroy Konoha."

With that Madara left the room, leaving the Four Kage together. Minato spoke softly in the small room, his tone making him seem afraid. "Sarutobi, is she really…?"

Sarutobi nodded slowly, looking to Minato as said man collapsed on the couch, head in his hands. "W-Why didn't you…Why couldn't you protect them?! Sashiko is all she had…"

The youngest of the group grit his teeth, his insides turning in guilt and remorse. "I didn't notice the growing malice of the villagers as well as I ought to have. I-I'm… I'm sorry for that Minato."

Hashirama sighs, turning to Sarutobi in order to question him. "She's his daughter, isn't she?"

A soft nod left no room for discussion, and Tobirama looked toward Minato. It wasn't hard to notice how alike the two were, at least looks wise.

"She said something about you sealing a tailed beast, which was it?"

Minato sighed himself before he looked toward them. "I sealed the Nine Tail's inside her and Sashiko…A trusted friend had told me that it was the only way to truly protect the village. But for the village to do this to them…"

The Yondaime sighs before he continued to speak. "I should have seen this coming…damn it."

Sarutobi stood and walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She looked up to you, or at least…"

There was another exhale of hot air, before a knock sounded on the door. "Lord Third, I got him for you."

An ANBU spoke up outside the door, and Sarutobi looked up in order to reply firmly. "Let him in."

The door opened, and the entire group of Kage turning to see who exactly had entered. Kakashi Hatake stood before them, his eyes widened in shock as his white gravity defying hair gently blew back from the wind that whistled through the windows. "W-What…" The door closed behind him as Minato's eyes widened again. "Kakashi…"

I~~~~I

Naru glared down at the lit up village of Konoha. The lights that lit up the village reminded her of the fireworks for the Kyuubi Festival. She clenched her fists against the smooth carved stone under her hands, the cold from it trailing up her fingertips, through her arms and to her chest, coiling at her heart. She felt as though the cold had squeezed the life out of her, one painful beat at a time. "Are you going to pretend to not be lurking Madara?"

The girl glanced toward the other end of the Hokage Monument, finding Madara standing there, no longer in his armor. Instead he wore a simple white shirt with the Uchiha symbol sewn on the back, his black wet-suit exposed as pants. He only stared out at the village with a stoic expression. "You hate Konoha."

A laugh bubbled from her Naru's as she took a moment to render what he had said, the sound of her laugh full of hate. "Whatever made you think that?"

She stood on Hashirama's head, glaring at the houses below the monument. "I have no love for this place or its people. The few people that try to treat me like an actual human being don't understand me, or they don't try to. They fall for my façade and simply accept it as the real thing."

There was a pause from the other side of the conversation, before Madara picked it back up. He sounded close to mocking, but also held that bit of understanding that no one else had in Konoha. "I hope you'll provide me with the honor of stripping down your walls then, Uzumaki Naruko."

A shiver worked its way down Naru's back as she stared into Madara's dark hatred filled eyes.

I~~~~I

Kakashi sat by Minato, staring at Hashirama and Tobirama as the ladder explained exactly what had happened. "She used the Blood Style known to Michiko's mother…Orama Hyuga. I never knew that she had kids though…I remember her always pushing men away."

Kakashi sighed at the information. "How do you know this exactly, Lord Second?"

Tobirama paused before releasing a sigh. "She was my pupil, and a sibling disciple of Sarutobi here. She was from the second branch of the Hyuga's and had run away at a young age, taking the name of the Oreshizoku's…The Many Clans."

Sarutobi stood and looked out his window, turning his back to them all, his hat sitting on his desk as he blew into his pipe. Smoke puffed out, before he took it out to speak. "She left as soon as the news of Tobirama's death got to her. You were like a father to her."

The Old Man glanced back at the man, before taking another whiff of his pipe. "Around ten years later a girl with exceptional skill stalked into my office, having ten headbands of different villages on her arms. She had set down her profile, and told me exactly who she was. She wanted to join Konoha, and had already left her clan. Her parents had suffered at the hands of assassins, and she had been told that Konoha would take her in. It was hard for her in the academy, as well as being accepted by the council and the constant evaluations and being watched by the Anbu, but she ended up as Minato's Rival."

Minato smiled fondly at the memory of the woman. She had been pretty quiet in her academy years, but after meeting the Uchiha outcast, Iraku, she had changed a bit. Well, Iraku wasn't the only one to blame for turning the woman into a prankster, Kushina had played her part just as well. "She was a very good shinobi…I'm sure you remember her Kakashi." Kakashi nodded slowly, before his eyes widened. "Wait, Sashiko was actually…?" Sarutobi paused before answering. "She was her last child…And no, her eldest brother didn't know that she was, alive. The council wouldn't allow me to tell him."

Kakashi clenched his hands into fists as he felt anger course through him. Ichihara Oreshizoku was Michiko's eldest son and was a year older than him. The two of them had bonded whenever Michi had come by their training sessions with Minato Sensei. Kakashi remembered that Ichihara was crushed the night of the kyuubi attack, more so than anyone who had lost something. Not only had Michiko and Iraku died, but his twin siblings Mila and Miko had fallen to the Kyuubi attack as well. It had only gone downhill from there when he had learned that Sashiko had apparently been killed when she was supposed to have been safe. He had torn himself apart, and in the end decided to leave Konoha to travel as a way to try and deal with his sorrows. Kakashi hadn't seen the boy, man by now, in 13 years. Closing his eyes, Kakashi let out a heavy sigh. "And…what about Naruko?"

Minato clenched his hands together. "You know she's my daughter, and that Kushina is her mother…as well as exactly what she contains. So the only other thing you need to know is that when Sashi died, she started hating Konoha. To make things worse, tonight, she had planned on leaving. Before she went however she made a deal with an academy teacher to steal the Forbidden Scroll, in exchange for the Jutsu inside that could bring back the dead."

Kakashi turned to him as his eyes narrowed as he mentally pieced the information together and filled in the blanks. Naruko had wanted to bring her sister back, and instead, she had brought back the three Kage and Madara Uchiha. "T-There's actually a Jutsu like that?

Kakashi questioned, flinching when his voice broke at the beginning of his question. Tobirama stepped forward, his face as emotionless as always while he answered. "Yes. I had created it…however I deemed it unfit to be used, since the jutsu requires a living soul to bring back one of the dead. However Blood chakra is composed of the same essence as one's soul, which allows the Chakra to be used instead of a human soul…How she figured this out I wouldn't know. But when she tried to summon her sister, she must have lost control of the Chakra and forced out all of the kyuubi chakra she had taken, resulting in enough chakra to compensate for the four of us. However the Jutsu still requires for someone to have a link to the ones that are summoned, their bodies or their possessions. Her link to the Fourth is she's his daughter… Her link to me must be Shashiko, Madara her Sharingan, and as for my brother, I suppose Sarutobi would do…"

The silver haired Kage shook his head in exasperation. "She nearly killed herself trying to get just one person back…that should tell you exactly how much she loved that girl."

 **There's the first chapter. Believe it or not this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I decided to cut it in half and take out extra bits. Kurama won't appear as much at first, and will normally only talk when Naru's in danger or when she triggers a conversation. She will seem god-like, but she had weaknesses, she just hides them well. Madara may seem Ooc, but it's only the beginning. I'm staring school tomorrow, (two days later than normal) so I haven't gone over the smaller kinks, but I thought I'd give you guys a little gift. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please wait for the next one!**

 **(5-26-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Preview**

 _Naru focused on Iruka as he began calling out teams. "Team Ten, Nara Shikimaru, Akimichi Choji, and Ino Yamanaka, your sensei is Sarutobi Asuma." She frowned slightly, having hoped to be with Shikimaru instead of anyone else. Oh well, she still could get Kiba or Shino. She'd prefer Shino, as he didn't talk much and wasn't as annoying as the others. Not to mention he wasn't one for gossip so he wouldn't ask her about her incident the night of graduation. "Team Nine is in active duty, so Team Eight will be Aburamai Shino," Naru leaned forward a bit, biting her lip as Iruka continued. "Inuzuka Kiba," She flinched a bit but still begged the gods to put her on that team. "-and Hyuga Hinata, your sensei is Yuhi Kurenai." She muttered softly and sighed as Iruka continued. She still had a chance of it not being who she thought it was. "And Team Seven is-"_


	2. II Team Seven

**Ah hello readers. First weekend after school, and already I'm missing going to classes. Drafting is amazing and History is fun (surprisingly, since I hate History and love Math and Science). Since I was in a bored mood though, I decided to type you guys a chapter. I'll only be doing 2-4 updates a month, and one every week or every other week, depending on how busy I am. I also decided to make Madara and Naru a side pairing, but it may or may not be turned into a main pairing. I prefer the KakaNaru, because Kakashi is the most likely person besides Madara to get Naur to open up to. Kakashi isn't too connected to Minato, and he is simply his Sensei. It'll all be explained in greater detail, and the pairings won't really show their faces until Shippuden anyways.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Itachi would have kicked Madara's ass. ^^**

 **Chapter dedicated to my family, who knows when to make me laugh.**

Naruto dashed forward, her Sharingan activate as she tossed her Kunai at the man standing in the middle of the clearing. He merely raised his hand to block them, stuffing his other hand in his jean pockets. Naru grit her teeth before launching over him, firing a round of kunai again before she landed on the ground and took out her shuriken, flicking her wrist to throw them at Madara. He swiped and grabbed the kunai in a row before dropping all but one, deflecting the rest with the small blade. The weapons fell down onto the ground below, making the blonde get slightly frustrated. However she hid her emotions as she had trained herself to. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a scroll. Madara's eyes moved to the scroll as her eyes began to strain under the pressure of the chakra. She cursed gently, fearing that the Sharingan might not last as long as she needed. It had only been a few minutes and already her Sharingan was ready to retire. She hadn't managed to hit Madara all week and unless she hit him today, he'd be the one picking her outfit for school. Naru cast a glance to the shadows below her before activating her clone jutsu, her copies unraveling the scroll before them. She had only a few more minutes today, and she needed to hurry up. Madara glanced around, wondering for a moment before all of the Naruko's bit their thumbs. They dragged their fingers along the scrolls, twelve in total. As she flew through the first ten hand signs.

Madara narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the sun to calculate the time. They had about two more minutes until the session was over. He carefully counted the clones again, just as she stopped on the twelfth seal. His iris orbs widened a fraction as he realized what she was doing. "So you know that Jutsu already." His voice was judging, with a hint of amusement laced through his harsh voice. Naruko only smirked at him as she slammed her palm onto the scroll, her copies following. All of them had suddenly gotten a different weapon in their hands. The real Naru had a katana, while the one clockwise from her had a Staff, the others having a set of Maces, a giant Shuriken, a Metal braided whip, a Scythe, a hammer, followed by the Kami, Daggers, Senbon, another having Gauntlets, the next having a Bow and Arrow, while the last had Wire attached to various weapons and traps.

The original Naru panted heavily at the chakra usage, the summoning technique nearly taking about half her own chakra that she had left, which was about 2/3. Madara instantly gripped another kunai, the twelve Naru's flying at him. The first one with a Mace slammed her two spiked balls with chains attached to handles down on the man, only to have him kick her back, into a tree where she popped. The Naru's with a Staff and Sword headed the next attack, both dodging and blocking as they tried to pick up the pace, barely avoiding the half-hearted cuts aimed for their legs or arms. The next pair had the Gauntlets and Kami, the Gauntlet wielding Naru sending a Punch to Madara's side. He swept around and gripped the base of the heavy glove, gripping it and tossing her over his shoulder, before he jumped over the sword aiming for his neck. He turned and grabbed the Staff aimed for his side, and twisted her into the dagger wielding Naru. He smirked as the one with a sword backed against the one with a Scythe. "Guess what."

Naru's eyes widened as she looked to the shadows, finding that the battle had come to an end. "S-Shit."

Madara slammed one fist into another clone before tossing kunai at the rest as the last Naru collapsed, panting as the weapons vanished.

The Uchiha moved forward and offered a hand to the Uzumaki as her Sharingan faded away. She glared at the elder but took it. "Bastard."

Madara flicked her on her forehead after pulling her up with a look of indifference. "Idiot."

The damned Edo-Tensei retorted to Naruko's face. The Uzumaki frowned at him before she stalked past him. She pocketed her scroll as she strolled by it, and turned back to him. "I'm going to hit you next week, and you won't like where I'll be aiming."

The Raven raised a brow in inquisition before he realized what Naru meant. He couldn't add a remark however, do to the stubborn Kunoichi vanishing into the forest. He muttered a few curses as he looked at the sky. It was around a quarter to 8:00 Am, and Naruko had her Team assignments at 8:30. He started walking into the leaves, his eyes closed as he recalled the entire week that he and the other three Kage had been with the Uzumaki. Her mental state had gotten slightly better with Tobirama's lectures and instruction as her tutor and slight Therapist. Tobirama however did not like being called such so instead Hashirama and Naruko had taken to calling him Professor Tobirama, much to his annoyance.

Madara himself found the girl's sick humor surprising, until he had learned about Sashiko's father. The man who had given the dead girl her Uchiha blood had been a prodigy when it came to torture. And Madara knew better than anyone that giving your eyes to someone outside the Uchiha line was dangerous, due to the attachments it made with the Uchiha Chakra, and in turn the souls and personalities of that line. He stopped at a thick canopy that turned the ground below him into a black space, a stone sitting in the middle of it. He slowly sat down before the stone, reaching and brushing his fingers down the faded Kanji. "She kind of reminds me of you when she has her Sharingan…I just hope that I'm wrong about her being like you. I don't need another Suicidal case on my hands."

Tired and a little annoyed, Madara allowed his eyes to close so the darkness of the forest could surround him and the smell of Sandalwood would drift into his nose. The wood scent was followed by a hint of rosemary. His lip twitched into a smirk. "You're an idiot Hashirama."

Naruko sat in her chair, watching Iruka as he went through his speech about truly being a ninja. Sakura and Sasuke sat beside her, much to her displeasure. Sakura was glaring holes into the side of her head, but Naruko didn't give a damn. She was too busy mulling over her training sessions. Madara had taken to forcing her to her limits in the morning, from 5 to 8 every day until today. The pattern would change when she got her Genin team, but she'd continue to train with him in the mornings, and with the Senju brothers in the afternoon. Minato would still try to gain her attention, but for now she would just deal with it, and move in with the man so he wasn't as much of an annoyance. Sarutobi had placed her under special watch and had even gone as far as to place a tracker on her at first. She had proved the Jutsu to be useless when she had disabled it with the Kyuubi's chakra on the first day. He had taken other measures after that. Even now she could sense the ANBU hiding in the ceiling, but made no move to show that she knew they were there. Instead she focused on Iruka as he began calling out teams. "Team Ten, Nara Shikimaru, Akimichi Choji, and Ino Yamanaka, your sensei is Sarutobi Asuma."

Naru frowned slightly, having hoped to be with Shikimaru instead of anyone else. Oh well, she still could get Kiba or Shino. The blonde would prefer Shino, as he didn't talk much and wasn't as annoying as the other options. Not to mention the Aburame Heir wasn't one for gossip so he wouldn't ask her about her incident the night of graduation. "Team Nine is in active duty, so Team Eight will be Aburamai Shino,"

Naru leaned forward a bit, biting her lip as Iruka continued. "Inuzuka Kiba,"

The Uzumaki flinched a bit but still begged the gods to put her on that team. "and Hyuga Hinata, your sensei is Yuhi Kurenai."

A mutter left Naru's mouth as she waited for Iruka to continue. She hoped and prayed to whatever bastard god that her team wouldn't be what she thought it was. "And Team Seven is Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Naruko Uzumaki, your sensei is Kakashi Hatake."

Iruka was about to continue in team assignments when Sakura spoke up. "Sensei!" Her screech caused Naruko and everyone else to cover their ears as the Banshee pointed to Naruko in disgust. Naru sighed, looking to the ceiling, begging for this to be a sick joke. "Why does Naruko get to be on a Team with me and Sasuke-Kun! She's got the worst grades in the whole class."

Naru looked at Iruka, who cast a pitying glance toward her. "Sakura, Naruko scored the highest in the Exams, and is actually ranked as the highest Kunoichi. While you excelled in the Written Exam and Ninjutsu, you failed both Taijutsu and Bukijutsu. Sasuke got almost perfect scores in every subject, and in order to balance it out we placed you with the kids with the highest scores in the areas you are failing."

The exasperated Sensei breathed out the explanation in hope that it would satisfy the Fangirl. The young Kunoichi, though Naru didn't consider any girl in the room a real Kunoichi, huffed and sat back down in her seat. Sakura still had the last word though when she muttered under her breath. "But Naruko cheated." Naru bit her lip to keep from attacking the damned brat, her hands clenching around her arms as she felt the chakra surge in her eyes. Iruka groaned under his breath and told the Genin that their Sensei's would pick them up later, before heading out of the room with his papers.

Naru glanced over to the window, sensing Hashirama checking up on her. Her scowl deepened as she pushed the chakra from her eyes. She took out her papers as well as her pen and her ink from her storage scroll. She set them down and began to scribble out some simple silence seals, with some extra lines added for her personal touch. One thing that Minato had managed to teach her was the basics of seals, and he was still working on it, so that she could create her own by the time of the Chunin Exams.

A small grunt alerted her to the prying eyes of the Uchiha, but she made no move to stop his snooping as she continued to write her seals out in careful strokes. Sakura scowled at her due to Sasuke's newly found source of attention. Her hand shot out and grabbed a seal as she questioned Naruko snottily. "What the hell is this? Some stupid attempt at impressing Sasuke-Kun?!"

Naru sighed at the immature accusation, having told Sakura before that she _hated_ Sasuke. "Actually, it's a miracle."

Kurama perked up as he heard his container's exasperated sigh and her reply to the Banshee of her class. **"Miracle?"**

Kurama questioned his container, a smirk drifting over his lips. Sakura was about to retort in a rude manner when Naru transferred chakra into the seal she had finished. She pushed the seal onto Sakura's forehead and snatched the other seal from the girl's fingers. Sakura tried to yell at her, but nothing came out of her mouth. "See? You managed to stop screaming like a banshee. It is a miracle."

Naru smirked and allowed her eyes to narrow on the girl as she expelled what killer intent she had without calling upon Kurama's. Said fox laughed inside her head as he spectated through her eyes. **"Scaring them shitless already? You work fast."**

His voice was like a comforting melody of death. It often reminded Naruko of an old song she knew…but that was off topic. "I'll take it off when Sensei gets here, well maybe."

Naru ignored the pink haired girl as she tried to tug the seal off her forehead. Sasuke looked at her in slight surprise, before his eyes turned back to their normal appearance and he turned to look out the window. _'What? I'm bored.'_

Naru defended against Kurama's laughter in her head. The others in the class joined in and snickered at Sakura's predicament, Shino and Shikimaru keeping their eyes on the blonde. Silence descended upon the room soon however, which allowed Naru to work better and argue with Kurama. **"So you place a silence seal on your teammate? I suppose it's better than the pyromatic seal you placed on me."**

Inwardly Naru rolled her eyes at the 'woe me' attitude Kurama had tried to pull. _"Oh please, you ate those flames like they were a buffet."_

Silence met her reply, which made her roll her eyes again.

It took a little while before the first Sensei came in. It was a woman wearing a dress made of decorative armor bandages that walked in with a man wearing a standard Jonin uniform. The woman had black hair in a rustic style with red eyes and red lips. She had pale skin and a sort of flare to her that Naru would never pull off. The man was smoking a cigarette, and had short black spiked hair in the Sarutobi style, his headband wore on his forehead like his female counterpart. He had tanned skin and wore a white triangular stash with the fire symbol on his waist. The man spoke up, acting laid back. "My name's Sarutobi Asuma, which group of you runts is Team Ten?"

Shikamaru sighed as Ino dragged her male teammates down the stairs and shouted a reply. "We are!"

Naru stared at Asuma, just as he looked over to her. His lip twitched as he offered a wave. "Hey Naru."

Naruko offered her own half-hearted wave to the Jonin. Asuma had seen her around Jiji, and he had trained her once or twice. They weren't very close, but he was the one that had found her with Sashiko, and had helped her burry her that night. That made him closer than most. "Hey Asuma-Sensei."

The Uzumaki's classmates looked at her strangely, but only Shikamaru and Shino lingered on the fact she knew Asuma.

The women spoke up next, Hinata looking at her with a small smile that showed she knew her. "I'm Yuhi Kurenai, Jonin Sensei for Team Eight."

Shino and Hinata shuffled down the steps behind Kiba, who had Akimaru on his head. Kiba's cheeks were puffed out in arrogance, displaying the red clan markings on them. It didn't take long for the two teams to leave, and for the rest of the Sensei's to arrive to pick up their students.

About half an hour later, only half of the class remained and by the hour mark, only Team Seven remained. Naru had moved to another desk at the fourty-five minute mark, annoyed with the glances that Sasuke sent her as she worked on seals. Sakura still had the silence seal on her, and was sulking beside Sasuke. Naruko had done around ten silence seals, and was moving on to a binding seal Hashirama had shown her. Apparently Uzumaki Mito, the First's wife, was also a seal master. She had sealed Kurama inside of herself in her late twenty's, and created many of the seals that Hashirama used for his battles, as well as other Uzumaki's like Naruko's mother and non-Uzumaki's like her father. The thought of her father brought up how he had managed to teach her some things about seals, even with her trying her damned hardest to ignore him. Though there was one thing other than seals that Minato had gotten her interested in.

The one other thing Minato could catch her interest with was her Mother. Her mother was The Red Death of Konoha and the second Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi No Kitsune. She was beautiful with crimson red hair that Naru herself had been born with, violet eyes, and pale skin. Naru only wished she took completely after her instead of her father. The revelation of her mother also made Naruko regret the choice to continue bleaching her hair after Sashiko's death.

Naru pushed those thoughts further into her mind, settling on her feelings for her father. Despite the malice toward her father, Naru chose to give him a break away from her distaste over him and his methods. He had and continued to try, and it was a hell of a lot more than Hiruzen had ever done. Naru was pulled from her musings when she sensed a new chakra Signature in the hall. A soft smirk twitched onto her lips, and she took her binding seal from its pouch. She channeled her chakra into it and turned to Sasuke and Sakura, Sakura shying away at the sight of yet another new seal. **"Hmm, I'll have to watch this."**

Kurama's comment aided Naru's too happy smile directed toward Sasuke. " _Teme_ , care to be a Guinee pig for the newest seal I've created?"

The Blonde couldn't wait to see their Sensei's face when he walked into her seal experiments. **"Lord help him when he does."**

Naruko ignored the fox in favor of tackling her male teammate.

I~~~~I

Kakashi was having a somewhat normal day, at least compared to the beginning of the week. He had gone to each of his new student's homes, visited with Minato at Kushina's grave, before the two went to the Memorial stone. After a heart to heart with his nearly revived (He was still having trouble coping with the fact, and the Uchiha and Senju siblings didn't help) Sensei, he had gone to the Academy, already an hour late. When he arrived there though, he hadn't expected it to be so quiet. He was sure there'd be a prank, but it seemed like there was nothing. However a sudden growl followed by a string of insults caught his attention. "Dobe let me g-! No!" There was a serious of muffled grunts, before Kakashi opened the door where the sounds came from.

The Copy Ninja's one visible eye grew wide and his book nearly slipped from his grasp at the sight in front of him. The Uchiha Heir, Uchiha Sasuke, was tied up by strips of paper with kanji scribbled down the middle, and he had a modified silence seal plastered on his forehead. Off in the corner the civilian student Haruno Sakura sat as she rocked herself. What really caught his attention however was the silence seal plastered to her forehead. Seated on the desk above the Uchiha Heir was Namikaze/Uzumaki Naruko. Naruko turned to him, a torture seal in hand as she smiled sweetly. " _Hello, Sensei_."

Kakashi nearly felt himself shiver, an image of Kushina in all her glorious (not for the victim though) wrath flashing through his mind. "Now then, why don't you explain why you're late?"

The Scarecrow in question stepped back out of instinct, while Sarutobi's comparison of Naruko's 'flipped switch' to Iraku's sadistic nature flitted across his mind. " _Well?"_

The sickly sweat tone was back, and Kakashi found himself sighing to hide his discomfort. He chose not to answer the girl's question, making a mental note to ask Minato if the blonde had anything besides his looks. He instead was wise enough to say something else that had whirled into his head, and wouldn't put him on the receiving end of the Uzumaki's torture Seals. "My first impression of you all is…You're Insane."

The Jonin glanced back to his book he pushed the thoughts of a fallen Uchiha and his Uzumaki companion in crime further into his head. "Release your teammates and meet me on the roof in five minutes."

With the words in his head out in the open, the Hatake decided to Shuinshin to the roof to collect himself and at least look somewhat professional. He had killed enough people that he could cover every inch of his house in their names for heaven's sake, he shouldn't be afraid of a teenager.

I~~~~I

Naruko sighed and withdrew the seals from both her teammates, pocketing them for later use. **"You're actually going to listen to the Scarecrow? It's going to snow."\**

Naru ignored the fox with practiced ease, instead speaking to her teammates. "You heard him. Hurry it up Duck Butt, Banshee."

Naru walked towards the window, opening it and swinging out of it. She vanished upwards, Sasuke glaring at her as he stalked after her. She had embarrassed him, with a piece of paper and fancy lettering no less. It pissed him off that he and Uchiha elite, was taken out by a clan less idiot. "Dobe."

Sakura grew a tick mark on her forehead above her left eye, but wisely kept her mouth shut. The memory of the seals whispering sweet tortures into her ears echoed inside her skull. She went out the door, taking the stairs instead of the window, not sure she could keep her lunch in stomach if she tried to climb to the roof like her teammates.

I~~~~I

Kakashi glanced over, surprised to see Naruto launch herself over the railing onto the roof. She stretched her arms, before looking at him with a blank expression. He felt his eyebrow nearly tick as he remembered where it was from. All the Uchiha's that Kakashi knew had that same look. The girl was becoming like an Uchiha, and it was slightly scary. However the moment Sasuke landed on the roof, her expression changed. "Took you long enough, Duck Butt." Sasuke seethed at her nickname for him, but barely said a 'Hn' in reply before sitting. Naru shrugged, nonchalant but not emotionless anymore. She expressed boredom, as well as a hint of sadness. The Sadness vanished when another person joined them. The pinkette female from before scurried past Naruko in fear and sat beside Sasuke for more reasons than being his fangirl. Kakashi's brow rose of its own accord as he wondered just what the hell had happened during that hour he had been 'missing'. The seals had to have been the cause, but they were just silence seals, right? (Inwardly Kakashi heard a soft whispering 'nope') He brushed it off as the girl simply not knowing how to deal with being attacked by her own teammate.

Kakashi would be lucky if his test proved the least bit fruitful. The children didn't know how to get along with each other for even an hour, let alone until they become Chunin. "Alright, now that we are all here, let's introduce ourselves. I'll start. My name is Hatake Kakashi, my likes and dislikes are none of your business, and I'll keep my hobbies to myself. I've never had a dream."

All of the Genin sweat dropped, annoyed that he only told them his name. Kakashi ignored this and pointed to Naru, who sat on a bench a few feet away from her teammates. "Alright, the Sadist can go first."

Naru narrowed her eyes on the Scarecrow due to her own nickname. "My name is Uzumaki Akihane Naruko. I like foxes, dogs, and crows. I hate fangirls, people who are late, and judge mental bastards. My hobbies are Cooking, Training, Fuinjutsu, Hunting, and Pranking. My dream is to be my own person and revive The Many Clans, the Uzumaki Clan, and make my sister proud."

Kakashi hummed, interested in Naru's wording. He was surprised she had given up that much information though. Maybe the Hokages were getting to the blonde after all. Turning to the other two on his team, only to find Sakura trying to flirt with Sasuke, he sighed. "Alright, the Banshee can go."

Sakura screeched at her name, huffing and glaring at Naru before speaking. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…"

The Pinky glanced to Sasuke, before she turned back to her Sensei. "Sasuke-Kun and Medical Ninjutsu. I hate Naruko and bugs. My hobbies…are cooking and-"

Sakura looked back at Sasuke, blushed, and let out a small squeal. Kakashi sweat dropped while he suppressed a sigh, the threat of a headache bordering on the edge of his mind. "My dream for the future is to be a good Medical Ninja, and to…"

Again Sakura looked at Sasuke, before the girl squealed loud enough to have everyone in shock for a few seconds. After he made sure he wasn't deaph, Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who was cringing at Sakura's behavior. "Alright Duck Butt, you're up."

Sasuke glared at his Sensei in annoyance before his eyes drifted to the ground while he took up his brooding pose. He rested his head on the back of his hands, his elbows resting on his knees as his thumbs formed a triangle pointing to his chest. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't really like anything, and I hate a lot of things. I don't have any hobbies and what I have isn't a dream, because I will make it a reality. I will kill a certain man, and avenge my clan."

Naru scoffed as Uchiha Itachi popped into Kakashi's head for the second time today. They all looked to Naruko as she stood, obvious not impressed by Sasuke's statement. "You can't even escape a simple binding seal, _Prodigy_."

The Uzumaki looked at her male teammate with a measured gaze as her taunting voice drifted into silence. Seeing as no one was going to cut in, she continued. "Hatred is a valuable tool if you know how to control it. If you are consumed, you lose your purpose and become the tool yourself. I would know." She turned to Kakashi whilst her shoulders relaxed slightly. "If you have anything to add please do so now, Kakashi-Sensei."

Naruko spoke slowly, her breaths measured. She seemed impatient, making Kakashi's mind bounce to her training with the Five Kage. "Since you are so eager to leave, I suppose I'll speed things along."

Kakashi decided he may as well finish the exercise, since it wasn't going so well anyways. Sasuke was still glaring at Naru, embarrassed and confused, but unable to do anything about it.

"Tomorrow you all are going to see if you are going to actually make Genin level. If not you go back to the academy, and repeat the year."

They looked at him in shock, though the Uchiha and Uzumaki both concealed it well. "B-but Sensei we already passed the test!" Naru closed her eyes as she began to sort through the information given to her by her other Sensei's. "So that's what he meant."

Naru spoke softly but through the tense silence everyone heard her. "What do you mean, Dobe?"

Naru looked to Sasuke, then Kakashi, whom nodded. She turned back to her teammates to answer them. "In actuality, very few graduates actually make a Genin team. The test is to see who has potential, and this Exam is to see who has the standards to become ninja. If they fail then they are sent back to try again the next year, or they are kicked from the program entirely."

Kakashi backed up her statement, resting his hand on the Blonde's shoulder, much to her displeasure at the contact. "The success rate for this Exam is at most 22%" Naru gently shoved his hand off her shoulder when he finished speaking. Kakashi took note of the fact she didn't like being touched. "Wait, so when is this Exam?"

Sakura spoke up, still confused. Kakashi gave them all an eye smile. "The Exam is tomorrow morning. Meet me at training ground 7 at 5, you'll have till noon to finish my assignment. Oh, and you might not want to eat, you'll puke."

With that said, he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Naruko looked to her team, and sighed. "Alright, Kakashi is notorious for being late, so I'd head to the Training ground around 10. I'd also eat, we need to be our strongest for the test."

The Uzumaki Heiress paused, and smiled at the other two, making them both tense. They hadn't seen the Dobe smile all week, and it was unnerving when she did now days. However this one was gentle, very different from the shit-eating grins she used to give. "We'll pass if we work together."

Naru's smiled vanished with her in a soft blow of the wind, leaving the two Genin to ponder what she had said. (Meanwhile Naru nearly threw up as she hunched over a tree at the academy, shivering.)

I~~~~I

Naru woke up around 3 in the morning, sitting up on her bed as she stared out her window. She shook her head before standing and stretching. After finishing with her morning stretches, she made her way to her closet to pick out some clothes and get ready for the day. She also grabbed some storage scrolls and extra ink, several blank and filled scrolls already attached the belt for her outfit. After placing her clothes on her bed, and checking her supplies, she took a shower and took care of her hair, placing it in a braid going down her back. She got dressed and turned to the mirror Minato had bought her. It was as tall as her, and had an orange frame. She turned slightly to examine her outfit, adjusting the belt and arm guards as needed. Finished with her outfit, she headed out of her room, walking toward the kitchen.

No one seemed to be awake, as it was now the weekend. She didn't mind much though, stopping right at the fridge to take out some eggs and butter. She stepped into the pantry and got bread, before making her way to the spice cabinet for cinnamon. She moved back and forth, going through the process of making French toast. Once she was finished she placed the dishes in the sink and turned off the stove. She grabbed her water pouch and left a small note on the table so her father would know where she was. After stopping by the door to put on her sandals, Naru exited the house and headed towards the Namikaze training grounds.

After two hours of training Naru decided she should head to the actual training grounds, and set up some Fuinjutsu traps while her teammates were gone. She stretched again before walking towards the village, taking a down-hill trail opposing the Hokage mountain. She drank from her canteen, sighing gently at the cool sensation the water gave her. Her eyes looked over the village, and she found herself frowning. It was peaceful, too peaceful. A soft smirk made its way up her lips, and she patted the sealing scroll with a tribal frog design painted on it, eyeing the faces of the Hokage carved into stone. It seemed the village needed to be taught a lesson, and it'd be a treat to see the Kage's faces after she was done. Replacing her canteen, Naru quickened her pace.

I~~~~I

Iruka was simply grading papers when he heard it. The outraged screams from villagers and Nin alike spread throughout the village, reaching the Academy teacher's ears. It confused him enough to catch his attention for more than a moment. Standing with a sigh as he heard the screams turn into an uproar, Iruka headed out of the building and down the halls. Soon after leaving the building, two Anbu dropped in front of him, kneeling slightly. His eyes widened as he wondered what the hell would cause the Anbu to come to him of all people. He was only a Chunin, and he was barely that. His teaching job was the greatest thing he had done in his ninja carrier after all.

The one to the left spoke first, his voice emotionless, a beige hood and cloak clipped around his neck, a weasel mask hiding his face. "Umino Iruka, the 4th Hokage summons you."

Iruka was about to muster up a reply when a blur of yellow dropped in front of him, kicking the two Anbu away. The blonde flashed him a smirk, holding a can of blue paint and another of yellow, her face smeared with various colors. "Using my own Sensei against me? Jiji sure loves low blows."

The assailant tossed the paint at the Anbu, the two advanced ninja vanishing. They appeared behind the blonde, each grabbing her shoulders. However, before they could do anything she poofed into smoke, a small modified bomb tag left in her place. Iruka's eyes widened as he felt himself get pushed out of the way as it exploded. The blast wasn't what he expected however. In fact it was the exact opposite. Bright blue paint exploded everywhere, covering the lawn and the ninja present in its thick mess. Iruka's teeth ground together as his fingers pushed the wet paint off his face. He took a deep breath before screaming at the top of his lungs. "NARUKO!"

I~~~~I

Naru chuckled as she got the information her Shadow Clone had gathered. She currently was leaning against a tree at Training Ground 7, her traps set and ready. She was eating some Onigiri (Rice Balls), enjoying the silence around her. The hum of the birds had stopped not long after her paint traps had exploded, so the whistle of the wind was all she heard. She closed her eyes, sighing gently as she finished her last snack. She was about to fall asleep when she felt a small shift of the wind, her eyes opening. Cerulean stared into Iris, the man's silver hair hanging downward in a shaggy spike, his headband covering his other eye as he stared at her. He currently hung upside-down from the branch above her, his expression blank. "You know, everyone's looking for you."

Naru only leaned forward, her eyes darkening with a looming storm. "And don't you know I don't care? It's fun to watch them run around like chickens with their heads cut off."

Kakashi merely gave her a once over, before stiffening as he heard a holler. " _Dobe_! What was all that talk about arriving late for if you're just going to get here early?"

Naru sighed, her entire body reacting negatively to each word that came from the boy's mouth. Her eyes hardened, and Kakashi watched as she grit her teeth. She obviously disliked the Uchiha heir, and Kakashi guessed it had something to do with Sashiko's heritage.

He dropped down, landing in a crouch before standing, offering a hand for Naru to take. When she did, much to his surprise, he squeezed gently. She glanced to him in slight shock but shrugged both the reassuring gesture and his hand away. She dusted herself off, and looked up at Sasuke. Her frown turned to a scowl as she spotted Sakura behind him, holding her stomach as it growled. She turned to Kakashi, whom only gave the three an eye-smile. "Alright Sadist, Duckbutt, Banshee, for your test I have the perfect competition."

A soft jingle was heard as the silver-haired man brought out two bells, both tied to a red string. Naru and Sasuke narrowed their eyes on the man as Sakura tilted her head in confusion. Seemingly happy with the mixed thoughts, Kakashi continued. "You all have until noon to get these bells from me. Once two of you take the bells, the test will end and the last remaining student will be tied to that pole over there without lunch, and will fail."

Naru went over what the Jonin had said, only to be roughly snapped from her thoughts when Sasuke dashed, reaching for the bells in Kakashi's outstretched hand. The Jonin's smile faded, and his hand slipped into his Kunai pouch. Not a second later, the blade was rested at Sasuke's jugular, his hands restrained behind his back. Naru narrowed her eyes, and went through some quick hand signs. She appeared right between Kakashi and Sasuke, forcing them apart as her other clone tore the blade from his hand. Kakashi's face held slight distain, and a hardness that she had only seen Madara ever pull off. His voice was dark and cool when he spoke, sending shivers down the Genin's spines. "I never said start."

Sakura's hand was outstretched in her silent plea for Sasuke's life, her eyes widened with shock. Naru tossed the Kunai at his head, watching as he dodged the strike with ease. She spoke in a low tone as well, the two having a type of showdown. "In a real battle, no one says start." He watched her as she stood straight, defying her words as she bowed. "But this is a mission ordered by you. I'm sorry for my teammate's boldness."

Kakashi relaxed as well, but kept the harsh tone. "Accepted, now then, Start."

As soon as their Sensei spoke, Naru vanished with her comrades, leaving three clones in their place.

I~~~~I

 **And that's the next chapter. Unlike the Pilot, I'm limiting my normal chapters ((X)I, (X)X, and Fillers may be longer.) to 3000-5000 words. I don't want them too long, because it can get boring or hard to read after a while. There's also the fact that I have school, so this helps me keep consecutive updates. Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions then please review.**

 **(5-27-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

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 **Preview:**

 _A harsh laugh rang through the clearing as a blonde blur landed behind Sasuke. Another geyser erupted, and Naru's blue eyes shined from the water's reflection. "The Uchiha may be powerful, but they were wiped out in one night. Not to mention, you don't know anything about the other clans outside Fire Country. They have the different bloodline traits, as well as the specific views on jutsu. There is even a religious clans with immortal ninja." Naru pressed her foot to the base of Sasuke's neck as she eyed Kakashi, who stood no more than three feet away. "Fire Country holds many powerful Clans, and is also allied with the Oreshizoku Clan."_


	3. III Open Eyes

**Yet another day in the world of Fanfiction…Well school is going well and I don't have too much homework, so I decided to write up this chapter and see where it takes me. My muscles are still sore from benching but I'll live. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to give my artist's mannequin a funeral…**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own Sashiko, the Oreshizoku Clans, and the Blood Style bloodline.**

 **This Chapter is dedicated to my awesome friend, who knows when to drag me from my loner moments.**

 **Warning-I was in a bad mood at first when I wrote this, and I'm feeling sick so it may seem…dark.**

 _I~~~~I_

Sasuke pushed Naruko away the moment he registered her hand on his shoulder. She only sidestepped him and let Sakura go as her blue eyes scanned the surrounding forest. Once she was sure Kakashi had stayed behind, she let out a sigh. "Alright, He isn't coming after us. We have enough time to plan out our attack."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on the Dobe, wondering what made her think she could order him, and Uchiha Elite, around. He stepped forward ready to voice his thoughts, but was beaten to the cut by Sakura. "Who the hell made you the boss of us? You're annoying and you always try to act like Sasuke-Kun, it's so stupid!"

Sasuke felt like slapping the pink haired banshee. She made a point, but she had yelled loud enough to rupture one's eardrums, and give away their hiding place. Even Sasuke had to agree that Naru as correct in getting them away from their Sensei. It didn't matter much anymore; even a Genin could find them after hearing Sakura. Naru only tilted her head to the side, before closing her eyes, as if asking for patience. She spoke seconds later as her eyes remained closed. "Sakura, you're a bitch and I would much rather see you lying in a pool of blood than work with you, _however_ , Jiji-Sama seems to think I'm too harsh."

Naru's eyes opened to reveal slit pupils that freaked even the Uchiha Heir out. Her tone was no-nonsense, and she was obviously annoyed with them both. Sakura inched away as fear creeped into her eyes. Naru glared at her as annoyance showed in her morphed eyes. "You are a snot nosed brat that knows nothing of the real ninja world. Well here's a wakeup call, its kill or be killed. The ninja life style isn't for the faint hearted, and it most definitely isn't for a girl who cares more about whether she'll break a nail than whether she'll lose her life or her teammates will die in front of her."

Sasuke flinched, her voice a haunted reminder of Itachi's own. In fact, she could very well be a female mini-Itachi. The thought made his blood boil and his vision go red for a moment.

Sakura watched Naru in fear while the knife-like words struck deep into her head and embedded themselves there. The demon like eyes that the blonde possessed seemed to stare into her soul in order to judge her. And apparently, she was deemed a bitch. Instead of Sakura being angered by the fact however, she was scared. The underlying truth in the words, the _promise_ in Naru's tone, turned her blood to ice. She wanted to just snap back at the blonde, but she knew she was right. Why wouldn't the Blonde be? Ninja weren't children, they were considered adults and they killed and were killed.

The Pinkette closed her eyes while she pushed out whatever images of death she could. Her head heart and she felt like they would collapse on themselves. She wondered where the revelation came from, why it appeared now of all times. She was snapped back into reality when a hand touched her shoulder. Sakura was shocked to find Naru standing in front of her. The blonde looked into the other girl's emerald eyes, and sighed again. "That's why you have Team Mates Sakura. We'll help you get stronger so you can face the Ninja world. A three man squad is created in order for Genin level shinobi to get affiliated with the aspect of teamwork. Once that is down they move onto individual skills, in order for you to become stronger. Teams are simply a way to create a powerful source to do missions more efficiently and effectively."

Naru offered a slight tug of the lips, before letting her go with a stunned look also hidden on her face over her contact with Sakura. "This test is designed to make us turn against each other. If you don't believe me or you want to give up, then go ahead and go. I'm simply saying this so I now it's been said… I honestly don't give a damn if I pass. My goal doesn't require a rank made up by a set of elders who are long past their time."

The Uzumaki looked over to Sasuke. A weight bore down on her shoulders as she glared at the Uchiha in anger and annoyance that was twice as bad as what she had shown Sakura.

Sasuke was at a loss for words after he heard Naru's speech about her view on ninja. He never thought the Dobe would be able to grasp that much, let alone act so much like an Uchiha. The facts interested him, especially since he had caught her snooping around the Uchiha Compound the other day. Whatever she had hidden, he would find for sure. He'd poke and prod if he had too, because the Dobe couldn't be more educated than him. She couldn't be more powerful, it wasn't logical.

However, logic only slapped him in the face, because Naru was powerful. She was smart, detached, and knew what this life meant. She had even scored as high as(higher than) him in the Academy, when she had been dead last all the years before. He clenched his fists again while he returned the glare that Naru directed at him. She had no use for the power she held, and overall it belonged to him. He was the one who needed the power, not her. She had her own clan, but he hadn't even heard of it before she said the name. A no-good clan meant nothing compared to the Uchiha.

Naru could see the wheels in Sasuke's head as they turned and he worked over what she had said, as well as what had been going on in the past month. She nearly scoffed due to her knowledge of how he wouldn't figure her out. He might think he did know her, but she'd make sure she always proved him wrong. For now though, she ignored him as much as possible. "So, are both of you going to help me figure out a plan, or am I going to have to do this alone?"

For a moment there was silence, slowly making Naru's mind twist towards her solo plan. Finally, Sakura spoke up. "L-Look…I'll only work with you if Sasuke-kun works with you."

Naru's teeth ground together as she was forced to look towards the Uchiha heir. He glared right back at her, before he turned away and let out a scoff as a show of arrogance. "As if I need either of you to pass this stupid test, neither of you are worth my time."

He stalked away, leaving Naru to close her eyes as Sakura flinched at the cold and indirect 'Leave Me Alone'. The pink haired girl watched Sasuke disappear towards Kakashi, hurt in more ways than one but not wanting to show it. "You can still come, you know. It'd be alright with me."

Sakura glanced back to Naru, and nodded slowly while a soft smile was forced onto her lips. "A-alright Naruko, I'll go along with your plan."

Naru offered a small smirk at her Teammate's reply, and pulled Sakura closer to discuss the plan.

 _I~~~~I_

Kakashi read his book as he dodged the kicks and punches Naruko's clones threw at him. His eye never left the pages, even when a Naru clone crashed down on him from above. He simply brought up his hand and blocked the drop kick as another Naru tried to swipe his book from his hands. He ducked under her arm, and tossed the Naru above him into the one in front. He watched as they popped from existence one after another. He finally looked up into order to search for the remaining clone.

Not a second later he spotted the last clone that stood a few feet away, a smirk placed on the Naruko clone's lips. She flashed through hand signs, which caused Kakashi's eyes to narrow. He knew that she had gotten training from the Kage and Madara, but it was still weird to see a Genin level Ninja who performed Jutsu. Naru finally stopped, raising her thumbs to her mouth to bite down. Kakashi immediately placed his book back into its pouch to watch as the girl wiped blood onto each of her fingertips. A smirk adorned her face, accented by her whisker marks as they shine. She called out the name of her technique and slammed her hands into the ground. "25 Seals Technique, Geyser Arena Summoning Jutsu!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the earth shifted and cracked. Steam shot from beneath the ground as the forest was transformed into a hot water geyser field. Kakashi had to jump from his current spot because hot water shot upwards as soon as his feet left the ground. He landed and carefully pushed chakra downward to check for more water. Once he was sure that hot water wasn't going to fry him, he took a stance. The Naru clone panted heavily, but smirked at him in a show of victory. "It's time I tagged out, Sensei!"

The clone vanished, just as Kakashi side stepped a kick meant for his legs. His eyes glanced to the side and narrowed on the Uchiha Heir, who glared back at him. Sasuke twisted and skillfully brought his leg into a side kick aimed at Kakashi's side. Kakashi merely gripped the boy's leg and dodged another swipe at his face. He grabbed the boy's arm as it swept past his shoulder, only to freeze when the boy's fingers grazed a bell. Kakashi pushed Sasuke away to he could grip the bells attached to his pocket. As soon as Sasuke landed though, he began going through hand signs at a normal speed. He finished and landed on the tiger seal, which alerted Kakashi to the type of jutsu.

Sasuke blew outwards as Kakashi quickly burrowed underground. Kakashi was surprised that the Uchiha knew jutsu and not just Naru. If the Heir and Naru were taught correctly, they'd be a force to be reckoned with even at just Genin rank. A soft smirk curved on his lips as he shot out of the ground. He quickly buried Sasuke inside the earth, careful to avoid any geysers. He popped out just as a geyser blew to his right side. He shielded his head from the hot water while he scratched the back of his head and stared down at Sasuke's face. The raven was neck deep in the earth, far enough away from the geysers that blew hot water around them to not get burned. "You act as though you can take me on by yourself, why is that?"

Sasuke scoffed and glared at the Silver Scarecrow Sensei. "I'm an Uchiha. We are the most powerful clan to exist."

A harsh laugh rang through the clearing as a blonde blur landed behind Sasuke. Another geyser erupted, and Naru's blue eyes shined from the water's reflection. "The Uchiha may be powerful, but they were wiped out in one night. Not to mention, you don't know anything about the other clans outside Fire Country. You have the different bloodline traits, as well as the specific views on jutsu. There is even a religious clan with immortal ninja."

Naru pressed her foot to the base of Sasuke's neck as she eyed Kakashi, who stood no more than three feet away. "Fire Country holds many powerful Clans, and is also allied with the Oreshizoku Clan."

Sasuke scoffed and continued to aim his glare backwards at Naruko. "Some clan, I've never heard of it."

Naru smirked at Kakashi and crouched by her partner. "That's because it's scattered around the Nations."

The girl closed her eyes and forced Chakra into the ground. Kakashi's eyes widened as cracks appeared around Sasuke, before the earth crumbled and freed him. Naru gripped the back of her teammate's head though, and she forced him forward as the diamond shaped hole surrounding his body began to crumble. "Here's a little history lesson Sasuke. Long ago, during the First Great Ninja War, several bloodline wielders from the different Nation's made a treaty. They banded together and formed a Clan in order to remain alive. They called themselves The Many Clans, and joined with the Uzumaki Clan and Konoha. Several members married into other clans, including one man who married into the Hyuga branch house. He had a daughter named Orama Hyuga, who grew up surrounded by war. When she was 5 years old, her parents were killed, and she was given the caged bird seal. She ran away and ended up in the Uzumaki Clan. When she was 7 she entered the academy and graduated at 9 alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen. The two excelled in the ranks during the war and came under the tutelage of Tobirama Senju. After the Nidaime died, Orama once again left Konoha, and fell in love with an Uzumaki. They soon had a daughter as well, by the name of Michiko Oreshizoku. When the Second Shinobi World War broke out and the two died, Michiko made her way back to Konoha along with Kushina Uzumaki. She became friends with Minato Namikaze, and quickly flew through the ranks. She died on the night of the Kyuubi attack alongside Minato Namikaze."

Sasuke stared at Naru, confused and slightly shocked. Naru only took out her scroll, before she rolled it out as she looked up to Kakashi. "Anything you want to add, Kakashi Sensei?"

When he didn't reply, Naru looked back down at the scroll in front of her. Kakashi's eye was slightly wide from all that she had said. Naru only bit her thumb and slid it across the paper in front of her as she ignored her shocked Sensei and Teammate. "Fine by me…Sakura!"

The Kanji flashed, before a boa staff appeared in Naru's hands and she jumped over Sasuke. The girl slammed her staff down on the stunned Jonin. The Silver scarecrow quickly moved and dodged the girl with supposed ease. He dodged her in a familiar pattern, which made it easier for Naruko to brake it. Kunai flew from all directions and wire wrapped around Kakashi's leg once Naruko found her opening. Behind him Sakura stood while she panted gently as she held the wire. She tugged on the wire with a smirk taking over her features.

A binding seal attached itself to Kakashi's back through the momentum of the wire, and Naru hopped backwards as the paper stretched and wrapped around Kakashi. Sakura dashed forward and swiped for the bells attached to Kakashi's pocket. Before Sakura could get them though, Kakashi switched places with a log. Naruko growled and ran to help Sakura up when she tumbled over the ground. "Damn! We had it planned perfectly too."

Sakura took the Blonde's hand as she dusted herself off. "It's not perfect if it doesn't work flawlessly Naru!"

Naru ignored the Banshee and scanned the area as Sasuke stood. In the background the geysers started to die down while their last drops of water shot out.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke began arguing with Naruko about interfering with his fight, which caused Naru to threaten to place a silence seal on him. Naru muttered in anger under her breath, quite pissed that the plan hadn't worked. It seemed she had expected the seal to block off Chakra consumption, which would lead to one being unable to do a simple Kawarimi. However, the blonde had forgotten to adjust the seal to work on Jonin level ninja. Still, the seal had hurt a bit when it started to bind him, the wire and Kunai hadn't helped his situation, nor did the shock from Naru knowing Sashiko's family history. He had wanted to add onto her explanation, but he couldn't in front of Sasuke.

Kakashi couldn't add the fact that Michiko and Kushina became friends, or that Minato married Kushina, or that Iraku and Michiko fell in love. He couldn't add that Michiko had three children before she had Sashiko and died months later. And most of all, he couldn't add the fact that Sashiko had died while giving her bloodlines to Naruko using Blood Style.

The technique the girl had to have used would be 'Blood Style-Bloodline Transfer'. It was a forbidden technique that took one's life force, bloodlines, and chakra and implanted it into another. It had to be the technique the girl used, because no other would allow Naruko to turn her Sharingan on and off like a normal Uchiha, nor would any other Jutsu give her Sashiko's other Kekai Genkai and the second half of the Kyuubi chakra. He closed his eyes tightly and willed away the pain in his chest.

When Iraku died, he had used the technique on Ichihara in order to keep the boy safe. Now though, Kakashi didn't even know if Ichihara was alive. The boy had his entire family ripped from his arms, and wasn't even allowed to watch after Naruko when he had asked.

Kakashi hadn't known that either was alive, though he should have guessed. No one else in Konoha had yellow of faded cyan hair after all. He pushed back his guilt and opened his eyes to watch as Naru try to plan with Sakura and Sasuke reluctantly joined in on the plan. The Uchiha Heir stated he'd just wanted to get the test over with in order to seem in charge. Kakashi felt a soft smile come across his face. Maybe, just maybe, this was the team. It'd be a change to have younglings to look after and to teach his teacher's child.

Kakashi was dragged out of his thoughts when Naru slammed her hand into the ground after biting her thumb again. She spoke aloud whilst her teammates stared at her in wonder. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Kanji spread along the ground before a small flash erupted. Naru remained stoic as three foxes appeared in front of her, each having three tails. The little Kitsune all had on a form of black cloth, either around their neck or hanging around their head just below their ears. The symbol for fire was placed in the middle of the material which identified the three as the Fire Triplets of the Fox Clan. They all watched Naru, ready for her orders. Kakashi was a bit more surprised at the summoning technique. He would never have thought that the Kyuubi had its own clan, let alone a summoning contract. He shook his head and vanished from his spot on the tree since he knew what the little blonde was planning. Naruko however, only let her lips twitch when her clone that she had sent to watch Kakashi popped. The fox one in the middle of the trio spoke up and pulled her back to the task at hand. "Naruko-Hime, what did you need?"

She turned to the foxes, and held up a piece of fabric she had managed to grab from the scarecrow. "Alright, Sanda-No Oji, Muan-No Kage, Mun'u-Oka, (Thunder Prince, Soundless Shadow, and Moon Walker) I need you to find this guy's scent. Once you find him I need you to lead him toward the previous summoning spot."

The three nodded before Sanda took the lead and sniffed first. He then let his brothers get a whiff before they vanished. After they were gone, Sakura sighed and walked over to Naru. She reluctantly took a silence seal and placed it on her arm before she pushed chakra into it. Naru did the same with her own arm and offered one to Sasuke. The boy scoffed at her a sneered out a rude comment. "I don't need some stupid ink blots to stay quiet."

Naru raised a brow but tucked the extra slips back into her pouch none the less. The three Genin began their trek into the forest. Sakura and Sasuke followed behind Naru as Sakura glanced toward Sasuke. Naru paid neither of them any real attention and instead went over her plan with Kurama. **"You already set up a binding circle, and the Pink Banshee knows what to do. Now all you need to do is get the Bastard to listen."**

Naru smirked at Kurama's nicknames while she gripped a kunai that she had slipped from her waist. _'It'll be a challenge. However I can do it with or without either of them, I just know that this test's true purpose is to test our teamwork.'_

Kurama hummed in agreement with his container as Naru ducked under a tree branch. She continued to swiftly walk along the hard ground without making noise. Finally Naruko stopped to send chakra through her feet. She turned to Sakura once she had finished her surveillance. **"Good luck brat."**

Naru thanked the demon with little reluctance before she pointed ahead. She made the ninja hand signs for ten meters in order to notify her team about Kakashi's position. Sakura nodded and pulled back. Sasuke frowned at them both in annoyance, but followed when Naru gestured for him to do so. Naruko began to make small signs in order to explain what they were to do.

Kakashi twisted to dodge the little heathens that chased him around the forest like a chew toy. His eyebrow twitched as he was strangely reminded of his Ninken, but he shoved the thought away when the smallest of the three foxes tried to snatch the bells. He jumped over them and watched as they turned and readied themselves to strike at him once more. He had just left the kids when Naruko's fox summons had tracked him down and attacked him. At first, they simple aimed to hurt him, but after a while they had went for the bells. Their tails swished, three per every brat. The middle one had his black sash hanging down over one eye. He glared at Kakashi and growled in annoyance. "Alright, Formation X! We won't fail Naruko-Hime!"

Kakashi sighed as the runts attacked him again, but picked up the pace only slightly to dodge the summons with more precise and fluid movements. The Scarecrow stopped however when he saw the fox with his headband wrapped around his ears split into three foxes, each fox with one tail. _'How many of these little heathens are there?'_

His question was answered when the one with his sash covering half his face with a hole to let his ear out split, the doppelgangers and the original also with one tail each. One of the brats suddenly launched himself at his face, forcing Kakashi to slap it away, before another grabbed his arm, and the third latched onto his leg. The last one launched himself at his other leg while the first recovered. The one with three tails swiped behind him, and Kakashi's eyes widened when he felt something being taken. The fox turned its head tossed the green covered book towards the trees.

Seconds later, a pink blur grabbed it while she grinned ear to ear and a blond blur appeared beside her. A raven haired boy soon followed. His hands formed into familiar signs. When they landed on the tiger symbol, Kakashi gulped. Naruko, Sakura, and Sasuke all stood before him. Sakura held out the book as Sasuke had started to blow out flames. "Well Sensei, anything you want to say?"

Naru smirked at him as she removed a silence seal form her pink haired teammate. Kakashi froze before he sighed in resignation and answered the Blonde She-devil.

"You…You all pass."

 **Ahh! The smell of crisp rain and burning cookies. I know from past experiences that baking while writing is a bad idea, but I never listen *Sighs*. Anyways, Thanks for all the favorites and follows! The reviews are appreciated as well. I'm still sore from doing the CORE workout, so I just wanted this chapter over and done with, and that's why the end may seem rushed. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. (Who thought dead bugs would hurt so much…)**

 **(5-27-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

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 _Preview_

 _Naruko awoke with a jolt, her eyes wide as she hugged her shaking form. The image of that figure was plastered in her head, its chilling smile and acid laced words. She shuddered, the lamp in her room blazing to life suddenly as her father, Minato, rushed into the room. He rushed towards her, and gently pulled her into his arms, cooing softly as he stroked her hair. She closed her eyes, the warmth similar to Sashiko's. She allowed him to comfort her, not wanting to be left alone with the figure still fresh in her mind. He smiled sadly towards the two males standing in the doorway, one with silver hair, the other with brown. "Shh Naru, it was just a dream…Just a dream." He cooed gently, trying to get the young girl to calm down._


	4. IV The Uchiha

**Hello readers, *Sneezes into tissue* I now have developed a stuffy nose and a headache, so if this chapter is off par please excuse it. I'll go back and fix it if it's not, but only when I feel better. I blame school and the idiots there for it, even if there are really good people, including an old guy-friend that sings and hates being called Emo (you'd think he'd try not to seem emo then, but he still stares at his feet and wears a scowl, while talking in deep tones, but I won't classify him, go ravens!). So instead of sitting in my chair with my fuzzy blanket wrapped around my legs and torso, tissues and cough drops ready for use, I'll get this chapter done so you may enjoy it and I can feel better. Also, this chapter will be a bit larger than normal since it's a filler.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to my 'darling' nephew who I love to death and teach how to be a brat.**

 **Disclaimer-Me own Naruto? Bah! Where'd you hear that rubbish!**

 _Naru walked silently over a field of ice, her footsteps leaving a red outline of her feet along the slippery surface. She walked calmly though, not slipping once, her feet never growing cold despite being barefoot. Her blonde hair danced around her, forcing her to crane her head up and push back her bangs. As her fingers touched the blonde locks, red began to seep into the tips. Naru gazed at the strands in wonder as her untamable yellow hair became red, the spikes silky but sharp. Her blue eyes lightened, and she felt a smiled grace her lips._

 _She wore an orange sundress, along with her headband that was wrapped around her neck. She stopped her trek, now residing in the middle of a blue wasteland. She looked around, confused for a moment. Her confusion only grew as the ground beneath her slowly turned into green grass, which began to spread. A voice made her turn again though, directing her attention to the black figure with red eyes and white hair standing across the field, a small circle beneath it remaining ice. The figure grinned wickedly at her as it spoke._ "Fall my little Kitsune, fall into the darkest depths of your soul."

Naruko awoke with a jolt and a scream, her eyes wide as she hugged her shaking form. The image of that figure was plastered in her head, its chilling smile and acid laced words. She shuddered, the lamp in her room blazing to life suddenly as her father, Minato, rushed into the room. He rushed towards her, and gently pulled her into his arms, cooing softly as he stroked her hair. She closed her eyes, the warmth similar to Sashiko's. She allowed him to comfort her, not wanting to be left alone with the figure still fresh in her mind. He smiled sadly towards the two males standing in the doorway, one with silver hair, the other with brown. "Shh Naru, it was just a dream…Just a dream."

Minato cooed gently as he tried to get his daughter to calm down.

 _I~~~~I_

Madara listened to the soft murmurs of voices down the hall, his black hair pressed into his neck as he lay on his shogi matt, eyes wide open. He had heard Naruko scream, as he had been awake all night. He had also heard the commotion that followed, including the Senju siblings arguing. Their bickering escalated when it came to the blonde haired girl and it annoyed the Uchiha. Naru's father also annoyed him a great deal. He worried over his 'little girl' too much and was a constant pain in Madara's side when it came to picking the 'correct' training content for Naruko. It had to be fun, it couldn't be dangerous, and it couldn't be a B-rank or higher. He was to make sure the girl didn't mess with her bloodline too much until she could control it, and he also had to limit her clones. She couldn't use the Kyuubi chakra unless she was near death, and wasn't allowed to use her Sharingan on anyone but Madara or Hashirama.

There were more rules, but Madara ignored most of them anyways. As the girl's sobs died down, Madara let his gaze drift to the door. Soft orange light flooded through the bottom seems, and shadows stretched along the doors. The Senju siblings had stopped arguing, now speaking quietly to Minato about the girl's nightmare.

Naru had the nightmares an awful lot lately and it had started to show in her training. She was a bit more sluggish, and had barely noticeable circles under her eyes. She pushed herself however, every day, every time. Madara had never met someone that could be as stubborn as his brother until he met the blonde haired nuisance. At the thought of his brother, Madara had to hold in a wince.

The two were very much alike, including their obsessive nature towards their older siblings. The only difference was, the older had given the younger their eyes, not the other way around. His fingers touched his eyes, drifting down till his palm touched his lips. A heavy sigh echoed as he sat up, watching the orange light vanish.

The voices faded, and Madara was led to believe that they had gone back to bed. It was perfect really, it meant he could leave and not draw too much attention. He wanted to visit his brother's grave anyways, and yell at the idiot again. It seemed he was doing that a lot lately, yelling at his brother for giving him his cursed eyes. He blamed Naru, through and through.

 _I~~~~I_

Minato woke to soft hairs tickling his nose, as well as a hard shirt. His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled gently when he saw his daughter, Naruko Akihane Namikaze, curled against his chest. Her cheeks were red from her nightmares, but she seemed okay. She had slight bags under her eyes though, and Minato sighed gently. He was glad that she hadn't pushed him away. He hadn't really been _thinking_ much after hearing her scream, and seeing her rocking herself in her bed. He had simply _done_ , pulling her into his arms without dwelling on how she'd he'd come to his senses, he was surprised that she had instead leaned _in_ to his embrace. It made his heart flutter, and his protective instincts increase ten-fold at the mere thought of her warming up to him, finally. He supposed it had something to do with the bonding they did after her team passed their real exam though. Another smile tugged at his lips as he stroked Naruko's hair tenderly.

 _I~~_ _ **The Day Before**_ _~~I_

Team Seven had just passed their exams, leaving Naruko to walk away from the banshee and the Uchiha. She headed towards the market, thinking on what she needed for dinner. She normally would use a henge to shop, but today she decided she'd think a bit before putting on yet another mask, just to go shopping. The villagers needed to get over their hate, after all she wasn't going to protect someone who wanted her dead. She scoffed at the thought, Kurama's snores answering her. She scowled in the silence, but it didn't last long. She stopped, bumping into a firm chest. She had been too focused in her thoughts, not noticing Iruka until it was too late. The brunette's eye was twitching, and he was still covered in bright blue paint. " _Hello Naruko."_

Naru became sheepish, backing away as she rubbed her head, laughing inwardly. "H-Hey Sensei…"

She moved to dart, but his hand gripped her shoulder, and he pointed towards the Hokage faces, which still had large splatters of multi-colored paint decorating the hillside, along with some very, _descriptive_ , kanji above each head. "Oh no you don't, you're going to clean that up."

An hour later, Naruko was standing on a scaffold, scrubbing away at the paint above her father's head. She had dyed his hair pink, and made his face blue with kanji coming out of his nose. Currently though, only the hair remained painted. Every other head was clean, leaving just the Fourth Hokage. Naru scowled, dipping and rinsing her rag as she muttered. She had cleaned Hashirama's head with jutsu, only to be criticized by Iruka into doing it manually. After using clones for Tobirama, Iruka had banned her form using jutsu entirely.

While Iruka really couldn't do much against her anymore, she chose to listen rather than argue. There was that, and the fact that the memory of him ordering her not to die was still fresh in her mind. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, blonde spikes waving around her, before she began scrubbing once more. Iruka watched from above, sitting on Jiji's head of hair, his eyes filled with several emotions. Finally, he decided there had been enough silence.

"Naru, why did you prank the Hokage faces? You _know_ who they are, and what they've done."

There was a double meaning to that saying, but if Naru got it, she gave no sign of acknowledgment. He bangs covered her eyes though, and she grumbled under her breath again, before supplying him with an answer. "It doesn't matter."

She stopped scrubbing, having finally finished. As she pulled the ropes to bring her scaffolding upward, Iruka's mind began to whirl. "It's because of your parents and the villagers, isn't it?"

Naru froze her body unmoving as she registered his words. She then began to shake, jumping upwards. She easily scaled the faces, landing beside Iruka, eyes downcast. "They call me a demon, and praise the damned Yondaime, blind to the truth. They ignore the pain and the heart break; they ignore the _death_ , acting happy _all_ _the time_. T-they _laugh_ …"

She balled her fists and turned to Iruka, her blue eyes raging like a storm, her pupils slits. "They _laugh_ and _spit_ on Shashiko's grave and her name, all because of something we have no control over."

Iruka sighed gently, and stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know almost nothing about your pain…Hell I was one of those who laughed and blamed you at some point. But you aren't the demon…You aren't the Jinchuuriki. You are Naruko Akihane. You are you, no matter what happens."

Naru stared at him in shock, her fists relaxing as her pupils returned to normal. Her eyes watered, but she rubbed them against her arm fiercely, to hide her tears. "Y-Yah…"

She seemed too shocked and it broke Iruka's heart. He pulled her to his side, rubbing her shoulder kindly. She was smaller than him by a good foot or two, but it didn't feel awkward. "Come on, I'll take you out for ramen."

He smiled down at her, and she nodded slowly. She'd never admit it, but she was slowly seeing her test subject in a new light. That and she didn't want to be alone, not after having someone read her so easily.

 _I~~~~I_

Minato stood at the entrance to the Namikaze compound, eyes filled with worry. He had heard about the prank Naruko had pulled, and was worried over her mental state. The fact that her true exam was today didn't help his paranoid mind. He had talked to Kakashi already. And while Kakashi had said his angel was alright for the most part, the other part that wasn't alright bothered him. Madara had stayed with him for an hour before leaving, saying she'd be fine. Minato noticed the Uchiha's slightly stiffer posture though, which kept the man from mauling the damned emo bastard.

Okay, so Minato was still upset with the Uchiha, but he was _slowly_ , ever so slowly, getting over the fact Naru like him, heaven forbid, _more_ than she liked her own father. Just as his muscles were starting to tighten and the image of a bloody raven entered his head, Minato caught sight of golden yellow and dirt brown. Ahead of him, down the path at about 15 meters, stood his daughter and her Academy Sensei. At the sight of Iruka, Minato let out a harsh breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

Iruka was one of the few that knew about the Kage being alive, namely Kakashi, Sarutobi, and Naruko. He was also one of the few Naru seemed to actually withstand without being forced to. In fact, she was laughing, and smiling a _real_ smile at something the brunette had said. Minato had to choke down his jealousy, instead waving and grinning cheerfully at his daughter. "Naru-Chan!"

Naru's head whipped forward, and immediately she sighed, pouting adorably at Iruka. The man just spoke gently to her, resulting in a blank stare and a reluctant reply. He waved and left her to walk the rest of the way to her father, smiling as he headed back to the village.

Naru chuckled gently as she watched Iruka go, her chest still warm from the talking they had done at the Ramen stand. She could also understand why her mother enjoyed the stuff so much. It was definitely the best food she had ever had. Groaning gently at the thought of another bowl, she had 5 earlier, Naru continued towards her father.

Before the Uzumaki could walk past him however, she was tugged into a hug. Her eyes went wide, her confusion keeping her from pushing him away. He kissed her forehead as he let her go, smiling. "Don't scare me like that."

She blushed, and looked away. She felt a small pit in her stomach as she realized she worried him. She shook it off though, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. First Iruka, and now her father. She felt a headache begin as Kurama grumbled inside her head. She winced, Minato taking note of her discomfort. He paused before taking hold of her shoulder. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Her eyes widened as he grinned and pulled her along, even as she protested.

Several minutes later, Naruko and Minato were both leaning against a cave wall. They were about twenty feet underground, in a cleared out cave with wood flooring installed. Naru was clutching a seal, Minato laughing heavily. He turned to her, holding one of his specially made Kunai. "You are really good. You got your mom's wits for sure."

Naruko blushed and glanced away as she sighed gently. "Y-Yah I guess so."

She felt so light after their training session, as though her chest wasn't heavy like before. In fact, she felt relaxed. "I never thought that you could use shadow clones in so many different ways."

Naru chuckled as her father sighed in exasperation, staring at the cave in wonder as he remembered the many Taijutsu moves the blonde pulled with only her copies. She had nearly gotten him trapped, until he kicked it up a notch and used his Flying Thunder God Technique. Once he had stopped holding back as much, Naru was no match for him. They had decided to call the match there, and were currently resting. Naru leaned back, and hummed gently. She stopped when Minato spoke up again though. "Naruko…Would you mind, telling me about Sashiko?"

He said it quietly, as though he was afraid of asking her. She froze, and ran over the situation in her head. Sighing, she turned to him. "Only if you tell me about her parents."

Minato blinked away his shock, before smiling and replying to her. "Of course."

 _I~~_ _ **Present Day**_ _~~I_

Minato flipped the pancakes on his griddle, turning the bacon in another pan and scrambling up the eggs set ahead of him. He heard the soft brush noises behind him, and smiled. Naruko was working on her seals behind him, humming under her breath as she created soft lines. Her strokes were close to perfect, showing her hours of practice. She had been at it for months, trying over and over to perfect her seals. She still wasn't there, and it agitated her. She sighed, and finished yet another seal. Ten others were off to the side, stacked neatly and waiting for her chakra to be added into them so they could activate. Minato turned the stove off, and began to plate their breakfast. He glanced backwards, chuckling when he noticed Naruko's frustrated face. She was glaring at a tiny stripe that made her seal less than perfect.

Minato set the plate of food in front of her, directing her attention to the homey breakfast. She thanked him with a sigh, placing the paper on her others as she began eating. She stopped however when the Senju siblings walked into the room. They were both arguing, Tobirama glaring at a pouting Hashirama. Naruko rolled her eyes and finished her bacon and eggs. She began to eat her pancakes when Hashirama moved beside her. He picked up the seals left by her arm, and began to look through them. Naruko finished her Pancakes and looked over at him as he stared at the hundreds of seals. "They aren't perfect yet, but I'm making good time. Now I just have to work on my Torture seals."

Hashirama chuckled. "You really are something else Naru-Chan. I'd say you're ready to move on. Perhaps we can work on those paint explosive seals you made?"

Naruko's eyes lit up as she smirked. "You should have seen Iruka, he was covered in blue paint."

The two pranksters high fived one another, Tobirama slapping both of them over the head with a scowl present on his face. Hashirama pouted, glaring at his brother. "What? It's just for pranks. You're too tight lipped Tobirama."

Naru merely ducked under his hand and pulled herself off the stool. She gathered her seals from Hashirama, and hugged Minato. Minato nearly dropped his plate of food and his coffee form surprise. Both the Senju Siblings stared at her in shock as she thanked him. "I'm heading out. I'll see you later, okay dad?"

Minato nodded numbly, shocked at her show of affection. She merely took off out the door, slipping her sandals on once she reached the porch. Sighing, she took off towards the village, her eyes darkening with sadness. "I just have to get the rest of my stuff out, that's it…"

Naru rushed down the hill, before taking off over the trees. She landed on a tiled roof, and jumped towards another. Landing lightly she continued to jump from building to building, towards her old apartment. With all the training and the Academy business, Naruko hadn't moved all her stuff form her apartment to the new house. There was also the fact that the Root was watching her almost constantly. However, they hadn't seen her family yet, surprisingly, which was a relief. She flinched though as she registered her words.

The Uzumaki wasn't used to being around people, let alone people who were nice and actually wanted to be with her. Their kindness was getting to her. She cursed and stopped, landing on the balcony of her apartment. She pressed her hand to the glass, and watched as her chakra flooded into the small lock seal she had set up. She then pushed the glass door to the side, entering her bedroom. She stopped to take in the empty room. No furniture was left, the only things left were the small amounts of clothes folded in the corners, and the scrolls she had yet to move.

Naru closed her eyes as her chest began to ache. It had been hard to even sleep here because it was always missing one thing, one person. It was missing the smiling Cyannette who'd always scold Naruko about her messy room. It was missing the smell of home cooked meals that Shashiko would whip up with what little they had. It was missing the laughter that would ring through it every time Shashiko tried to show Naruko how to clean. And now, it'd be missing Naruko too. It'd be empty until she was forgotten, because no one wanted the apartment a demon used to live in.

Naru leaned on the doorway, glancing into the living room. Her spiky bangs covered the sad blue orbs, and her gaze tuned to the floor. She was thirteen years old, and she already knew about death. She had known since she was four years old. And now, she'd be the one showing others death. She'd be the killer, and she'd be the protector. She scoffed and turned to look at the room again, remembering the night she had that dream. The field of flowers, the soft smell of dew, the wind blowing through her hair. She felt her knees wobble as red eyes flashed through her mind.

The troubled Jinchuuriki collapsed when she heard a voice speak into her head. **_"Heh, Little Kitsune…Aren't you afraid?"_**

Blue eyes widened and Naruko fell forward, palms flat against the wood as the figure from her nightmare laughed inside her head. **"SILENCE!"**

At the sound of Kurama, the figure's laughter quieted, before its presence vanished entirely. The damage was done though, Naru's shaking form staring down at the poorly kept wood flooring. She grit her teeth, tears leaking down her face. "Weak…"

She reared her fist back and slammed it into the floor. She reared back her other one as her pupils turned to slits. "So weak…"

Kurama growled, noticing that his container, the Kit, was acting weird. "I-I failed her…I'm so…s-so weak."

Naru's vision blurred, and her hand flew right toward the flooring. Red chakra surrounded her though, keeping her still. Her eyes widened as she felt Kurama's chakra begin to burn her. She gasped, and pulled away from the floor, slamming into the doorway.

 **"Kit…You alright?"**

The fox grumbled softly, his voice taking on a hint of worry. Naru merely curled into a ball, breathing heavily. _"I-I don't know…W-what was that? It was like…when you take over. I can see and hear, but I'm not in control."_

Kurama sighed heavily inside her head, his mind whirling. **"It was that damned presence…It felt like you, but it also felt like, well it felt dark. Whatever that thing was Naruko, it has the ability to influence your emotions. I think it may have to deal with you using your bloodline."**

Naru nodded meekly, not that the fox could see it. She couldn't speak or think straight, her vision slowly focusing. Finally, she had gathered herself enough to reply with thoughts. _"It appeared in my dreams…And now in my head like you do. Do you think this means that it is getting more powerful as my emotions grow?"_

Kurama began to think, Naru raising a hand to her head as she looked to the damage she created. The red chakra receded from her body, leaving small burns and bruises. They were already healing though, so Naru didn't dwell on it. Instead she focused on the small crater she created in the flooring.

Azure eyes widened when the Uzumaki child noticed that an entire set of panels had been pushed up, instead of just the ones she had hit. Curious she crawled forward, pulling the boards away. Once the last board was moved, Naru's fingers brushed over soft wood. She stared at the wooden box buried in her floor, confused. Her eyes widened though when she saw the note slipped between the lid and the latch, keeping the container sealed. She pulled out the note, and felt her heart stop. The handwriting, neat as ever, with a soft curve to it, sprawled out a small greeting at the top of the letter. As she began to read, tears built in her eyes once more.

 _Dear Naru, I know that if you are the one reading this, not me, than I must be gone._

 _I'm sorry I wasn't able to teach you and protect you like an older sibling should._

 _Whether I left you recently or years ago, I'm still sorry._

 _I know you must have went on a rampage afterwards, and found this amidst the destruction._

 _It's not okay that you tore things to shreds for my sake, but I know it's how you cope with things._

 _You are probably pissed at me for saying sorry so much, so I'll move on._

 _In this box there are several clan scrolls._

 _If I died how I wished, then you should have my eyes, and my chakra._

 _It's hard to control, and you may think of it as a burden, but I know you will grow to accept it._

 _It will protect you and ease my worried soul._

 _The Uchiha scrolls you can get help from my older brother with._

 _He doesn't know I'm alive, and Jiji doesn't know that I know he exists, but if you show him the bottom scroll, he will teach you._

 _As for the other clan scrolls, I managed to get some Uzimaki scrolls for you._

 _And get this, I know who your parents are._

 _Once you want to know, use the black scroll marked with the Konoha Leaf…I know this isn't enough, it'll never make up for the years I left you alone, but I know that this will help._

 _Power can be scary, and I want you to know that you don't have to be afraid, or force your control over it._

 _Let it flow through you, let it show you and guide you but don't let it control you. I love you little Kitsune, I love you my darling little sister._

Naru barely finished reading the note aloud, before breaking down into tears. All her years of begin here, all the days she spent wishing for something of Shashiko, and here it was. Here was Shashiko's last gift, the gift Shashiko had prepared at _four_ _years_ _old_. She had been preparing for her death, all her short life.

Naru cried even harder, her eyes swirling as they turned red, before it rested, three tomo positioned around her slit pupil. She clutched the note to her chest as she shook. Even when a hand rested on her shoulder she didn't stop.

Madara's black eyes read the note slowly, and he thought about his brother. He thought about how his brother had taken out his _own_ eyes, just because he didn't want Madara to go blind. _He could have lived!_ Madara clenched his other hand into a fist, and allowed the little blonde to cry out her pain, her sorrow. She needed to feel free. She needed to understand her sister's sacrifice, and move on as much as she could. Madara had, even if he hadn't wanted to. It had helped, even if only a little bit, with the pain and betrayal. He gently rubbed the girl's back, pulling out the box of scrolls. He lifted her into his arms, placing the box on top of her stomach. He closed his eyes as she cried into his chest, hands clenching on his shirt. Seconds later, he had Shuinshined to her room.

 _I~~~~I_

Naru woke up later that afternoon, mentally and physically wasted. She sat up slowly, letting the soft orange covers fall from her body. She turned, facing the stoic Uchiha sitting at her desk. He had the box of scrolls placed to the side, and was holding the note Shashiko had written in his hands. Naru stared at him, before her eyes widened as a piece of spiky red hair fell over her left eye. Madara spoke, no emotion in his voice. "You look better with the red hair."

Naru touched the locks, and frowned gently. The last time her hair had been red was when she was four. After Shashiko died, and she woke up in the hospital, Naru had bleached her hair and dyed it golden. She had no idea why it had decided to magically turn back, but she smiled anyways as she stroked the messy red spikes. "When did it-?"

Madara eyes her hand, before leaning forward and placing the note on her leg. "While you were sleeping. It started to change colors not too long ago though."

The now red-head nodded, wincing when she felt a sharp pain through her head. **"The** ** _thing_** **came back; it's the reason why your hair changed…"**

She frowned, forgetting about Madara for a moment. "I see…"

Madara raised a brow, before tossing the box at her. It nailed her in the stomach, making her grunt. She glared at the Uchiha, whom remained neutral. She sighed, and turned her attention to the box. Kanji was drawn around the fine wood, creating a chakra seal leading to the small lock without a keyhole. "Push your Blood Chakra into it…"

Naru blinked as she thought over the order, before deciding to go along and follow Madara's words. They made the most sense after all. Focusing, Naru began to push her chakra into the lock, watching in shock as the metal lock began to react. It turned red, before sinking, well _melting_ into the wood, following the kanji outwards. The lines disappeared as the blood chakra flooded into them, before the box was left bare.

Naru blinked, glancing up at Madara. He merely nodded, and she took off the lid. The smell of dust and pine filled the air as Naru blew gently, a small cloud of dirt flying up. She waved it away, and looked inside. Scrolls were line neatly, standing upwards to create more spaced. They had different colors, markings, and wood middles, and several had three or four colors instead of two.

Naru picked up a red and black one with the Kanji for blood. She began to unroll it, only to find the paper blank. She paused before bringing her thumb to her mouth. She bit, and returned it to the paper, pressing it down. The blood began to spread, forming neatly kanji, seals, and diagrams for Jutsu Techniques involving the Blood Style.

Her gaze flew back to Madara, whom blinked in slight confusion, before the look vanished and he took another scroll, one with a red edge, black outlines and a white middle. It had the Uchiha fan etched into the top and bottom on the wooden middle. He carefully unrolled it, finding it as 'blank' as the last one. He took only a second to activate his bloodline, the three tomo boring down onto the piece of paper. "This one has wording as well."

Naru's body was shaking with excitement. Her greedy hands dove back into the box as she began to look through the differently marked scrolls, pulling out the Oreshizoku, Uchiha, and Blood Style scrolls, setting the other specially marked ones in their own piles. She had just about finished, the scrolls littering her bright orange and black bedcover, when she stopped on a scroll on top of a picture. The scroll had special seals spiraling all around it, giving it a very unique appearance. Madara paused, looking up from the same scroll he had moments before. His red eyes scanned the paper, Naru's fingers tracing the delicate designs. "Family…Love, Friendship, Pain, Loss, Longing, Loneliness…"

Her breath caught in her through as she recognized several symbols placed delicately into the pattern of seals. She finally stopped at the top of the scroll, starring at the middle of the wooden center. "This symbol…Madara, have you ever seen it?"

She handed it over to the Uchiha, who set down his own scroll to take a look at the intricate carving. He stared at it for a few moments, before deactivating his Sharingan. He continued to exam it for several more moments, his brow furrowed. He finally spoke, hiding any sign of his confusion behind a stoic façade. Naru didn't really notice that he had dropped it though, instead taking it back when he passed it to her. "It looks like nine tails in a swirl pattern with three rings going to the middle, along with a tenth tail going diagonally across…"

 **"Nine…Nine Tails, and the ring pattern with the Tenth Tail cutting through it. The intricate seals, the delicate kanji."**

Kurama's partially horrified voice breathed into her head, making her jolt. He sounded like he was reminiscing over something sad. It nearly broke Naru's heart to hear the normally _violent_ Kurama to speak so…softly. She was so surprised, she forgot to only speak to him through her thoughts, and spoke allowed. "Kurama? You alright?"

Madara's gaze snapped up to hers, and he seemed to freeze for a moment. Her eyes widened when his eyes started swirling, forming a distinctive pattern that chilled her blood to ice. In seconds, her body began to feel heavy, a thick veil being cast over her eyes.

 _I~~~~I_

 _Water dripped down on to the floor, little waves flowing over the water that coated the grimy tile. The green lights cast dark shadows down on the two people who took presence in the room. One had black hair and red eyes. His eyes both held petal like shapes, swirled around the pupil. The other had red hair and the deepest sky blue eyes one could have. Her gaze was narrowed on the other, lips drawing back in a slight snarl. "Bastard! You can't just enter my head without my permission you damn-"_

 _Her rant was stopped when a loud roar echoed in the sewer like room. It echoed, pushing water back down the winding halls, shaking the stone ceiling._ _ **"MADARA!"**_

 _The raven turned to the Nine Tailed Fox, his expression leveled. "Kyuubi."_

 _Naru felt a chill drift down her spine at his tone, just before her vision went completely black._

 _Madara caught the now completely knocked out Naru. He frowned gently as her head lolled. She was snatched from his arms however when a pissed off fox's tails swept by. Kurama held her behind him, eyes narrowed on the Uchiha as hate radiated off him._

 _The killer intent gathering on the fox's side of the room was enough to kill a low level Chunin, and it was steadily growing. However, Madara's own killer intent was gathering to fend off the beast's. He spoke slowly, making sure to press more chakra into his eyes to emphasize his point. "What is that seal? If you don't tell me..."_

 _Madara's eyes began to spin, Kurama gritting his canines as he felt the steady beat of his container's heart falter, a whimper drifting from her lips. The fox chose between his pride and the child's sanity quickly, his pride being chipped away as he spoke._ _ **"I recognize it from one of my Old Man's scrolls. He said it was the sign of the Nine Demonic Paths, or the Nine Tailed Beast's as a whole."**_

 _Naru's breathing regulated, Kurama letting go of a breath he would have rather not been holding. The Kit seemed to make him do crazy things, just because she treated him as something more than a raging beast with a brain the size of a pea._

 _Madara closed his eyes, before opening them again seconds later. They were back to their black hues, which caused Kurama to relax his tails a bit more. His entire body felt tense though, and he wasn't about to relax completely around the bastard Uchiha. "I see…I won't let her remember anything past passing out the first time. Are you going to intervene?"_

 _Kurama glanced down at the little red-headed nuisance, and felt his normally un-beating, stone cold heart, clench painfully._ _ **"No…She will remember me speaking to her, that's all."**_

 _Madara nodded, and turned. He sighed. "Don't make me threaten her ever again, damned fox."_

 _I~~~~I_

Kakashi came to visit his 'Sadist' student later on that day, only to find Minato seething behind a tree as Madara and Naru faced one another. Minato was glaring at Madara, his fingers twitching to grab his special Kunai. Naruko's movement stopped him however. He turned to see Kakashi, brightened slightly, before turning back to face his daughter. Naru was emotionless once more, taking on the Uchiha mask. "Alright."

Madara's lip twitched upwards as Naru dashed towards him. He was wearing his red armor, in order to take on the blood style attacks that Naruko was going to send his way, and too try out some of the Taijutsu styles the Uchiha had forgotten by his time. Naru wore an outfit close to the Anbu outfit, only without the mask and she had elbow, shin, knee, and shoulder guards, and scroll holsters took the place of her weapons pouches. Her hair was pinned back in a spiky ponytail, the red strands sticking in several directions.

Naruko's faded blue eyes narrowed slowly as she brought her hand down in an arch, her hand outstretched in a chop like move. She aimed the heel of her hand on Madara's shoulder, but had to bring her arm down sharply and curve to the left to dodge a roundhouse from Madara. The Red-clad Uchiha crouched, aiming a palm strike to Naruko's chest. Naru twisted, letting his hand hit her side instead. She winced but slammed an elbow down on his arm, a loud crack sounding in the clearing. She didn't stop there though, gripping the man's forearm, pulling him toward her outstretched palm. She slammed the palm into his face as another crack sounded her Sharingan swirling dangerously. Her other hand traced around Madara's arm as the Uchiha moved to counter her.

The red head pushed him back, her outstretched hand falling to her side as her left dripped blood.

Naru then brought her hands together to create the tiger seal, her eyes seeming to glow as blood chakra built up around her arm. "Blood Lotus Seal!"

The blood surrounding Madara's arm began to glow in sync with Naru's, before it tightened its grip, turning the already healing paper-skin black. Madara glanced at his arm as his face recreated itself, scowling at the seal placed there. He then turned to Naruko, finding her charging again. This time though she held a Kunai between her teeth, her outstretched arms covered in thick red chakra. He ducked under a roundhouse to his head, catching a fist aimed for his shoulder. He let go when the blood tried crawling up his arm, his other hand going through seals as he built up chakra in his lungs.

Naruko's breath came out in ten second intervals. She was trying to pace herself, even as she wrapped blood chakra around her hands. She winced at the slight sting but hid her pain well. The kunai between her teeth was a simple one with a lightning seal on it. She had copied the seal as best she could from the scrolls earlier, and wanted to test its effectiveness. In order to do that though, she had to drench her opponent, draw blood, or get into contact with his eyes. Edo-Tenseis don't bleed though, and Madara had the Sharingan so Naru couldn't get up close and personal enough to get into contact with his eyes.

In fact, it was the most dangerous position to be in with Madara, and Naru wanted to avoid it at all costs. That left drenching the Uchiha, and Naru didn't have any water jutsu, just blood style techniques. And currently, she didn't have the chakra control for the Blood Rain Technique, so she was once more, left with close combat. With this style of combat though, the Blood Palm Technique as it was dubbed, Naru could avoid Madara's eyes by simply getting close enough to punch at him and kick him around. The Blood Palm extended her reach by about a foot so she had a good deal of room to work with. A smirk twitched onto her lips as she swiped at Madara's face, her fist turning into a palm as she spun on her heel, aiming at the Uchiha's shin.

Upon realizing that Naru was after his legs, Madara jumped upward. He twisted halfway up, spinning over a set of wire traps before gripping the fan strapped to his back by the handle. He pulled it out, cutting in a circular span around him as he landed in a crouch. He held his fan behind him, his eyes looking towards Naru's spot. He was slightly surprised to find the newly-made redhead gone. He quickly sent chakra into the ground and put his senses on alert, only to stop in shock when Naru shot out of the ground. Her fist connected with the base of his fan, the flames surrounding the Blood Palm being absorbed into the material.

Naru grit her teeth, before she was sliced in half. Blood exploded outward, Madara's armor becoming covered as he once more landed on the ground. He stood quickly as he looked around, his fan held at just the right angle to block an underground attack, and to be in turn able distance to block any other attack. The real Naru sat in her tree, several clones surrounding the Uchiha. Each had activated the Blood Palm, their Sharingan ready to read Madara's moves.

Naru bit into her thumb as her clones attacked Madara in a blur of red and black. She started to make certain hand signs, most unknown to any observers. As she did the bite on her right thumb made lines across her hand and wrist, creating a distinct pattern. Her gaze settled to the Kunai she had planted on the ground where she had attacked Madara. As she came to the last seal, her last clone tumbled roughly, slamming into the ground. This clone was special though, and didn't pop. In fact, it exploded in a flash of red.

Madara stumbled only slightly, shielding his face with his arm as his Sharingan narrowed on the black spot. He felt surprise consume him when he heard a rustle behind him. He turned sharply, swinging his fan in an effort to block any attack. His strategy was rendered void however when he saw the inscriptions on Naru's arm. She stopped at the last seal, her body seemingly floating mid-air as she spoke. "Fire Style, Lightning Fire Phoenix Jutsu!"

Naruko blew outwards, the seal activating. Lightning crackled, expanding form her arm and joining the chakra made fire that expelled from her lips. He heard a second crackle, and turned just in time to notice the kunai from earlier behind him emitting lightning. His eyes softened, and he chuckled gently, before a large cloud of dust flew upwards.

Kakashi could only watch in shock as Naruko hit Madara straight on with her technique. He hadn't seen the seals Naruko had used in years, hell an entire decade had passed since he'd seen Iraku use them. Iraku was famed for using seal based Lightning mixture techniques. He'd implant an elemental jutsu into the seal, base the outage on the amount of chakra put into it, and then use it with certain Lightning Style techniques. He was also famed for using the seals in Taijutsu and Bukijutsu to their highest potential, and mixing his already mixed techniques with Konoha's Blue Butterfly.

Minato had stopped glaring mid-way through the fight, and now watched the dust for any signs of the battle still continuing. He was rewarded when the sound of metal on metal echoed through the clearing. He turned his head to the side to glance at Kakashi before turning back to the battle ahead of him. The dust had begun to clear, exposing the still clashing figures of Naruko and Madara.

Naru had a few more scratches, but they were already healing. Madara's left leg had been sealed halfway, leaving him with little to almost no function in that leg. He also had a long cut on his disabled arm, the seal glowing still.

Minato sighed gently, looking less worried over his daughters safety after seeing her condition. Kakashi could only sigh. Minato was quite protective, and if it were anyone else, Kakashi would call the mother-hen blondie on it. But Naruko was fighting Madara Uchiha, not some Lazy Scarecrow (As Hashirama had apparently dubbed him based on Naru's description of her Sensei.) or half-wit silver haired Chunin. (Kakashi still remembered the story about how Naruko had nearly killed Mizuki after reviving the Kage, but wasn't 'allowed' by Sarutobi.)

Madara Uchiha was an elite ninja who could face off against the First Hokage single handedly, and nearly win. He was known for controlling tailed beasts and killing his own brother just for his eyes. Kakashi himself was worried, even though he couldn't show it. He hid it behind his book and his uncaring façade. He sighed gently, before his eyes widened a fraction.

Minato's fist clenched as Naru flew across the field, tumbling and twisting. She let out a soft scream, before she dug her hand into the dirt, tumbling several more times as she slowly down. She stood on shaky legs, glaring at Madara with hate filled red eyes. Her tomos remained, but her pupil had turned into a slit. She coughed heavily, muttering before dashing right back at the emotionless Uchiha who stood a few mere meters away. He only raised his hand, sending a Wind Palm at her. She barely held under the stress of the attack, Minato moving forward to intercept before the match turned worse. Kakashi followed suit, his worry clearly displayed after he watched Naru cough again, her hand covered in saliva with spots of blood mixed in. She surprisingly let Minato pick her up, Madara glaring at them both. "She's never going to learn if you keep babying her Minato."

Kakashi shivered as killer intent washed off Minato in waves, most of it directed at the Uchiha. Madara remained unaffected though, which didn't surprise either male. Minato spoke up as Naru's breathing evened in his arms, only the slight pause between inhaling showing the damage done to her lungs. "I won't let her become an emotionless tool for you to control."

Minato sighed and turned away after he had spoken his piece, Kakashi following him back to the Namikaze Estate.

 **Okay, so this didn't turn out how I thought it would. I hope it wasn't too Fluffy, but it was mainly meant for bonding and setting up the plot for the next stage. I kind of rushed with it because I'm still sick (Started this about a week ago), I wanted to make my dad's football cake and my dad's family came over for his birthday. This led to about two or three hours extra per day, and two hours was normally spent on homework (Damn common core), while the rest I spent on writing. Anyways, I managed to get it done. Thanks for reading my rant and the chapter!**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

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 **Preview**

 _"Alright, you are to escort Tazuna here to the Land of Waves and stay there and guard him until he finishes working on the bridge." Naru's murderous demeanor took a sharp turn off a cliff it seemed, as she sharply turned to stare at Tazuna. She frowned and something flashed through her eyes before all emotion left her face. Sasuke and Kakashi took note of this, while Tazuna became puzzled at the carrot top's change. Kakashi cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his Genin team. "Go get ready and meet me at the gate in 30 minutes." They didn't need to be told twice, all of them vanishing out the door. Kakashi saluted to Sarutobi as he vanished in a swirl of leaves, Tazuna muttering and returning to his temporary room to gather his things. Sarutobi rubbed the front of his face as he spoke. "I'm getting to old for this…"_


	5. V Waves & Whirlpools

**The lovely smell of pizza and rain. It's so, refreshing and homey. Well here I am again, trying to do homework and type at the same time. So far I have one problem done and I just started XD. Well I don't want to bore you, and I have a little gift at the end of the chapter. This chapter is going to be normal length, not 8k or anything close. Maybe 5k, but I'm pretty sure it'll be 3k or 4k words.**

 **Disclaimer-I've been forgetting to do this, but I don't own Naruto.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to drafting, and the lovely history of Christopher Columbus and Leif Eriksson (Eriksson Day!)**

Blue eyes glared at an orange bundle of fur trapped under Sasuke's arms. Soft red hair fell over the girl's tanned cheek, two extra scratches standing out, light pink and nearly bleeding. They were healing quickly though, but that didn't unsour Naruko's mood. No, the blonde refused to _not_ glare at the demon cat from hell. Kakashi kept a firm hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't suddenly decide that it was worth it to kill the damned feline. Sakura was suffering from a 'cuteness overload' after seeing Sasuke handling Tora with ease.

Naruko hissed at the feline, only to have a paw swipe out, scratching her nose. Sasuke snickered, Kakashi's grip tightening as he whispered into her ear. "You don't want to know the punishment of hurting that cat Naruko…I still have nightmares about your father."

The harsh warning whisper floated between the two of them, Naruko relaxing slightly, only to glare up at Kakashi, whispering her threat to him. "You'd be the one getting it _Hatake_ , dad can't even stand me getting annoyed, could you imagine me being sad _over_ him?"

Kakashi merely stared her down, until the soft squeal of the Daimyo's wife rang through the mission room. Naru's eyes lit with sadistic glee as she watched the cat squirm and try to feebly escape its owner's arms. "You deserve it damn neko from Hell…"

Kakashi removed his hand to step back as she began to laugh silently, the sound enough to drive a person mad. Sasuke and the newly recovered Sakura stepped away from their teammate, Sakura thinking back to the seals the Blonde loved to use. She also remembered the one neither she nor Sasuke got to see in use.

Naruko could always be seen reaching for it whenever her teammates annoyed her (Quite often really, the pinkette had caught her reaching for it 5 times today alone, and it was barely 8am!) Kakashi always appeared right before she could use it though, gripping her wrist or her shoulder tightly as he announced their new mission. They had been at the D-Rank missions for a week already, and all 3 of them were sick of it. Naru seemed to jump from her trance however when Iruka spoke up. "Naru, here to select a mission?"

Naru visibly brightened before her emotions were quelled. She walked towards Iruka, stopping to give a soft smile at him. "Yah. Speaking of which…Jiji-San."

She turned to face the Hokage, her smile vanishing. It struck the Sandaime's heart that she couldn't smile at him, but he was happy she addressed him as her Grandfather rather than Hokage-Sama or even Sarutobi. She still had that soft sarcastic edge though, but he had expected that much. She still blamed him for Sashiko's death, and he had threatened to send the Kage after her if she fled the village. The fact that she was slowly opening up to Iruka and Kakashi helped.

He smile gently at her and leaned back slightly as he took a whiff from his pipe. "Yes Naruko?"

Naru pointed back to her team, obviously annoyed they weren't up there with her. "We've done enough missions to earn a C-Rank at least, right? I mean we can't just do D-Ranks for our first few months."

Sarutobi's lips twitched upwards as he eyed Naruko with amusement. "Alright then, I suppose we can find something for you."

Iruka's eyes widened, and he leaned forward. "All due respect Lord Hokage, but don't you think it's still too soon?!"

Before the Old Man could answer, Naruko spoke up. "Oh please. Sakura has started studying medical Ninjutsu with me, and Sasuke is a very skilled fighter. I'm not too shabby either, and we'll have the lazy Scarecrow with us the whole time."

Iruka frowned at her, worry lazed in his hazel orbs. Naruko sighed gently and walked over so her slightly shocked teammates couldn't hear her. She leaned beside his ear and spoke softly, but just loud enough so Kakashi could also pick it up with his keen hearing. "Look if it's that much of a big deal for you, then Jiji can even have the others standing by if we need help. And if I run into any real trouble I will use my bloodline."

Iruka sighed, still worried but much less so than before. He finally sat down, Sarutobi staring at Naruko in slight shock. He hid it well though, smiling gently again. "Alright then, I'd say Team Seven is ready for its first C-Rank mission. I know just the one too."

Sakura and Sasuke shared a look with Naruko as Jiji motioned to the door connected to a waiting room. "Bring in Tazuna."

Kakashi's visible eye looked up from his book, watching as an old man drinking from a canteen walked forward. The man looked to be in his mid-40's, maybe late 30's. He had on a straw hat and a green farmer's top, along with beige shorts and sandals. He also had big round glasses without rims set on his nose. He looked down on the children, and scoffed, glancing to Sarutobi. "These brats? The shortest one doesn't even look like she can fend off a feline, the raven has duck butt hair, and the pink girl looks like she hasn't done any sort of work in her whole life."

Kakashi was quick to grab his children before they could maul the client, stopping Naruko from gripping her seal scroll. She growled at him and the bridge builder, her eyes close to turning into slits. "I dare you to say that again you-" Kakashi covered her mouth swiftly, giving the bridge builder a nervous eye smile as he stared uninterestedly at them. "Don't worry. They are capable enough, I assure you."

Iruka rubbed his temples as Sarutobi sighed gently. He watched as Team Seven settled enough to pay attention to his briefing. "Alright, you are to escort Tazuna here to the Land of Waves and stay there and guard him until he finishes working on the bridge."

Naru's murderous demeanor took a sharp turn off a cliff it seemed, as she sharply turned to stare at Tazuna. She frowned and something flashed through her eyes before all emotion left her face. Sasuke and Kakashi took note of this, while Tazuna became puzzled at the carrot top's change. Kakashi cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his Genin team. "Alright, go get ready and meet me at the gate in 30 minutes."

They didn't need to be told twice, all of them vanishing out the door. Kakashi saluted to Sarutobi as he vanished in a swirl of leaves, Tazuna muttering and returning to his temporary room to gather his things. Sarutobi rubbed the front of his face as he spoke. "I'm getting to old for this…"

I~~~~I

Naru stood from her spot by a grave, the entire graveyard deserted aside from the man behind her. She had left red roses one the soft granite, along with a serving of ramen, and several rice patties. She gently blew the incense so that it wouldn't start a fire, Kakashi setting down a set of sunflowers and lilacs. They mixed with the roses, making a surprisingly nice color scheme.

Naru flinched slightly at the sight of the purple flower. Her mother had loved lilacs, and Sashiko had as well. Naru herself liked Lilies and sunflowers, and sometimes marigolds (only orange ones.) Her father had always said that Kushina was always like a rose, beautiful and able to change its color, but deadly and fragile all the same. "She would be proud of you Naru."

Naruko sighed gently. "I know…or at least I know that everyone thinks that. Until I hear the words from her though, I won't be able to truly…believe them."

Naru clenched her fist. "I just want my mother and sister back…"

The Uzumaki shook her head, and turned, walking away from the grave. Kakashi sighed and glanced after her before turning back to the grave, hands stuffed into his pockets. "She really misses you. She wants to get to know you, in person and not just from the stories Minato tells her."

He can practically see Kushina's form, smiling sadly at him, worry and faith in her violet orbs. He swears he feels a hand touch his side, the feeling cool. The hand fades, but Kakashi glances down to the side of his vest anyways. His eyes widen when he sees an outline of a child-sized hand, painted in soft white chakra that soon faded.

I~~~~I

Sasuke stood at the gates, about an hour later than the team was supposed to be there. Sakura soon appeared beside him, blushing and staring at him through her lashes. He had to admit, while she still kept her fangirlish ways, she was a lot more tolerable. Giving a soft grunt in her direction, he looked upwards.

Standing ahead was Naru, her chest bound by bandages in white and black, a see-through mesh shirt keeping them together. She also had on beige shorts and her scroll cases, as well as several bracelets with seals on them. They seemed to be brand new, and matched the tribal patterns matched the fox design on her new sword case, the short sword barely two and a half feet long. It was one inch wide and a quarter inch thick in the middle. She had it out and was practicing her stances with it.

The red head turned suddenly and put her black into the black case, beige fingerless gloves going up her arms to her elbows. To tie it all together she had on a beige cloak with black seals running along the top and bottom, her hair still crimson red. Strangely enough, it reminded Sasuke of Tomatoes.

Sasuke wasn't going to voice his thoughts though, as he had already got the shit beat out of him the first time. Okay, so not really a beat down, Naru just hadn't played fair.(She had struck him in the most unfashionable and unladylike manner, and then chosen that using a torture seal on him was aloud)

Naruko sighed gently at the sight of her teammates, her fingers sliding away from her sword handle as it slide into the case and locked in place. Her fingertips trailed down her shoulder, catching a spiky bang, before letting it slip as she drifted to her neck, trailing the chain that rested there until her fingertips touched the cool obsidian stone. The stone had the Uzumaki clan symbol, as well as the Namikaze clan symbol both melded into one charm, attached to the chain necklace.

Minato had given the piece to her just before she left, saying it had part of his Flying Thunder God symbol on it in case she was in danger. Even though she hated being babied, Naruko had rarely ever received gifts, so she took the necklace without fuss. That and the fact that the chain was actually made by her mother before she was born as a first birthday present had convinced her keep it. She cleared her thoughts and looked up to her teammates as they arrived beside her. "I thought I'd keep the client company while we waited for Sensei. It seems like his clock is behind again."

Sakura frowned, her inner self yelling out a 'Yah right!' fist poised for a sucker punch. Sasuke merely replied with a signature 'hn', turning away from the redhead so he wouldn't make eye contact. Tazuna watched the little display, confused as to what exactly this team was supposed to be.

The Redhead was the Sadistic Seal Master (An actual Uzumaki, she had explained the Uzumaki lineage as they waited), the Raven was the Emo 'Badass', and the pinkette seemed to be the Backup. The Jonin Sensei was the Perverted Caretaker, someone Tazuna really would rather not have as his guard, especially since he had been staring at Tazuna suspiciously since the mission assignment.

Naru merely took up her post leaning on a tree, Sasuke moving to the shade while Sakura began talking to Tazuna about his village. "Tazuna-San, does the Land of Waves not have ninja?"

The man paused, but chose to answer quickly so he wouldn't have to deal with the question later. "No. The Land of Waves is an economical land, and does not have any military power. We hire other Hidden Villages instead."

Sakura nodded, looking like she was in deep thought. Naruko decided she mine as well join in on asking questions. "So, do you have any family Tazuna-San?"

It wasn't too surprising to either of Naruko's teammates when she addressed Tazuna formally. While the Red Head (tomato head in Sasuke's mind) was slightly brash and quite the sadist, she also treated their clients with a measured sort of respect. If they tried to cheat them out of their money or said they weren't doing a good enough job when they worked their butts off, Naruko would stop respecting them. If they treated them better, she'd hold them in a greater regard. She had only just met Tazuna, and was now judging whether she should respect the man or not. Sasuke didn't give two shits of course, and Sakura was self-conscious about being a lady. Their heads snapped to the side though as a smoke appeared. Out of the grey haze appeared their Scarecrow-Sensei. _"Kakashi-Sensei, why are you late?"_

The icy words made everyone tense, Naruko's sweet smile branding itself in their heads once more. Much to the Jonin's thankfulness, he didn't stutter and managed to hide his wince at the reminder of Kushina. "Well…"

I~~~~I

Team Seven now walked in the middle of the Civilian roads, Naruko trailing behind with Sakura, Kakashi ahead with Sasuke, Tazuna in the middle. Kakashi and Sasuke kept their distance from the blonde, Tazuna still shaking as he remembered the threat Naru had given their Sensei if he didn't snap form his lazy habits while they were on the mission.

Sakura had chosen to stay with her female teammate as a show of good faith. The pinkette was talking softly to the Red Head, both of them making a surprisingly pleasant conversation, even if Sakura kept glancing at Sasuke every ten seconds. It annoyed Naru only a twinge after all. There was no need to go on a killing spree when Sakura had actually started the conversation between them.

Naru kept her eyes to the sky, her head rested on her palms as she stuck her elbows outwards. Her lips twitched slightly sometimes though, and she found herself enjoying the company. It didn't feel forced and Sakura couldn't want anything from Naruko. Naru softly cursed Minato and Iruka for making her mask fade. She had been building it for years, and now that she was actually out of their reach she was able to reform it. The problem was that she couldn't remember how she had formed the mask; it was as if some part of her made her forget it.

Azure eyes glanced down for a moment to survey Naruko's surroundings. "So Naruko, why did you dye your hair red?"

Naruko glanced at Sakura, eyes skimming over a puddle on the path ahead. _'Kurama, has it rained recently?'_

While waiting for Kurama's answer Naru chose to answer Sakura. "My hair is naturally red I just bleached it when I was four and decided that I wanted my old color back recently."

Sakura nodded, her eyes now slightly wide. Ahead Kakashi and Sasuke slowed their pace to hear the girls better. **"Not in a few months. We're going through a dry season."**

Naru held back a frown as she yawned, one had behind her back. She discretely signaled Sakura with her other hand, watching as the young girl tensed slightly. They glanced up at Sasuke, whom let out an 'hn' to signal he knew. Kakashi remained facing forward as they passed over the puddle that didn't belong there.

Seconds passed, seemingly slowly for all the Konoha-nin as they took step after step away from the puddle. Naruko wrapped her hand around a Kunai handle, turning just in time to watch a hand spring from the water. A chain soon followed, aimed at Kakashi. It flew straight through his head, the other parts tearing apart his body. "K-Kakashi-Sensei!"

Sakura screamed, Naruko dashing forward with Sasuke by her side. "Sakura, protect Tazuna-San!"

Though she was shaking, Sakura gripped her Kunai and settled herself in front of Tazuna, trying to calm her nerves.

Naru flinched as she saw the blood but focused on the task at-hand. Kakashi wouldn't be killed that easily, he was Kakashi of the Sharingan, the last remaining student of the famed Yellow Flash. Trying to calm the thudding of her heart, she focused on the two nin in front of her. They both wore Mist Headbands with a line through the middle, each having a gauntlet on opposite arms that connected them with a chain. Glancing to Sasuke as she ducked under the chain, the Red Head found him engaging the other Nuke-Nin in combat.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Naruko channeled the Kyuubi chakra around her like a shell. It fluctuated and nearly broke, but with a soft prayer Naru managed to make it stable. It was still less than perfect, but she was feeling the air around her even better than before. Her lips twitched and she jumped over another swipe form another blade. Naru gripped the handle to her katana and weaved through the chain trying to rip into her stomach. She launched over it, sliding her blade out in the process. As she landed and turned around, her blue eyes opened to the sight of the chain separating. No longer having the balance of their other half to stable them, the two stumbled slightly.

Sasuke wasted no time slamming his fist into the other man's face. Naru chose the more classic approach, slamming the butt of her weapon into her opponents head after elbowing him in the back. The nin hit the ground, both of the Genin panting gently. The barely invisible red lining around Naruko vanished, and she felt her skin slowly piece itself together after the burning sensation fleeted. She looked glanced at her hand, flinching when she realized it was cut. A mutter left her mouth as she touched her scroll, willing a spare glove out so she could replace it.

Kakashi crouched by the two Nuke-nin, checking their pulse as Sakura teared up. "S-Sensei!"

Sasuke turned towards the Scarecrow, frowning as he turned to the spot where he had thought Kakashi had been murdered. A log lay in the Jonin's place, the blood gone. Naru glanced at their Sensei, before sighing. "I guess we will need to report this to Hokage-Sama, huh Kakashi-Sensei?"

I~~~~I

Kakashi sighed tiredly after putting the fire out. His team had decided to rest and continue their mission tomorrow, and hopefully figure out what Tazuna wasn't telling them. Shaking his head Kakashi stood. He dusted himself off, about to walk into the woods. He stopped and turned, finding Naruko peaking from her tent. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'll keep watch, just…be quick alright? It's best you get it over with sooner rather than later."

Kakashi relaxed some, glad he didn't have to fight the blo-red head over the ordeal. (Absently he berated himself for nearly using her old hair color) "I'll be back soon…I promise Akihane."

Naru flinched, staring at him with wide eyes. Hurt seemed trapped in the blue orbs, before Naru turned away, remaining quiet. She seemed unable to speak, so Kakashi let her be. He smiled gently and disappeared into the canopy.

 **So there's that. It was about 4k words, shorter than the last by 1k I believe. Anyways there won't be fillers for a while, so you'll have to deal with short chapters. I'm still coughing but I feel a lot better than before. I seriously think I may be allergic to school…Anyways Homecoming week is about to start so I'm just waiting for the Mahem to begin. I may also start a new series depending on if you guys want it or not. Now on the note of next chapter, I'm going to have Haku be a girl since I want Naru to have another sister figure.**

 **Thank you anyone who may have review or favorited/followed my story. The support means a lot, and as my English teacher says (after giving me the buck tooth snake…and telling me to smile) writing should not be a chore. I enjoy giving you content to read. Now then…Enjoy my newest creation…The Lone Jinchuuriki, Chibi Naruko Omake Theatre! (Don't have to read it, I just keep dreaming about it and need to express the adorableness that is Chibi Naruko.)**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 _Chapter I, Naruko Akihane Uzumaki-I am adorable, BELIEVE IT!_

 _Little Naruko hummed softly to herself, her spiky blonde hair blowing in the breeze._

 _She was seated at Iruka's desk, her tongue gently poking out of her lips to the side adorably, her baby-blue eyes fixed on the seal before her._

 _She grinned as she finished, smirking to herself._

 _"Take that,_ Iruka-Sensei. _"_

 _With her work done, Naruko dashed out the window, leaving no trace she was ever there._

 _Later on that day, Iruka sat on his chair._

 _Soon after a bucket of dye tipped onto his head._

 _He ran to the washroom, eyes wide as he tried to wash off the substance._

 _When he looked up at the mirror after drying off, he felt his eyebrow tick._

 _His normally brown hair was now blinding orange, his headband somehow pink._

 _"NARUKO!"_

 **So there the beginning is. Depending if you want more of it. If not then I'll probably do a poll for later chapters or sneak peaks.**

 **Preview**

 _Madara's lips twitched up into a smirk from behind his black mask as he watched the little blonde below fight the A-Rank Missing Nin. He could see the frustration on her face, weighing down on her. She wanted to go all out, he knew that, but she had to keep a low profile. That, and the root operative spying on her didn't need to know of her extra bloodlines. A soft rustle was heard, before extra weight landed on the branch beside him. He didn't even have to glance over, knowing that the Gold masked man was Minato, simply by the anxiety his twitching hand showed. Madara wanted to scoff at the man's mother hen nature that only appeared when his daughter was in the picture. Naru was considered an adult, and she could take care of herself. Zabuza was only a slight obstacle one she'd overcome with little trouble. He let out a soft sigh as Naru flashed through hand signs, cupping her mouth afterwards. "Wind Style, Vacuum Bullet!" Her voice rang as she fired bullets of wind at the Mist nin, making him jump out of the way to dodge. He held his blade close, trying to read the little Kunoichi. Madara could only smile, a soft delicate smile that no one thought he could have. 'Good luck my little Kitsune.'_


	6. VI Calming Waters

**Hopefully this goes well. I've been trying to get this done, but you know, school is kind of overwhelming, even without my little nephew…It's too quiet without him!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto this story wouldn't be fanfiction, it'd be canon! (And the Perv would be alive!)**

 **This chapter is dedicated to sandwiches and water, who always get me through my day without a growling stomach ^^**

It took Minato a minute to get into his Anbu armor, and another minute to get his redone shuriken in their pouches and his new scrolls strapped to his sides. It took only a few seconds for him to add his sandals and gold mask, before he appeared inside Sarutobi's office.

Madara and Tobirama appeared seconds later, dressed in their new uniforms. The Uniforms consisted of Anbu Armor plates with modifications, different colored masks adorning their faces. Minato's was a gold fox mask, Tobirama's was a silver wolf mask, and Madara's was a black raven mask.

They all were kneeled in front of Sarutobi, whom asked for them to rise after a few seconds. "Gin Okami, you will be the Captain of this squad. Your mission is as follows-Tail Team Seven and scout ahead of their course to deal with threats. If they are in need of help you can interfere, but only then may you make yourselves known. This mission is marked as S-Rank, and will be your first field test. Do not fail, Dismissed."

No scroll was given, as documenting this event was simply too dangerous in the long run. Any missions given to this new task force would be spoken, not read. Another second passed before a bronze and black blur appeared beside him, chuckling softly behind his bronze dragon mask. "Madara wasn't too happy about being ordered around by you Hiruzen."

Hiruzen ignored Hashirama, code name Seido Tora, and instead lit his pipe as he stared at the silence seals surrounding the room. "You can deal with him. I'm too old for this."

I~~~~I

Naruko looked across the ripples along the water, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Her fingers were clenched around one of her scrolls, whilst her legs were tucked under one of the benches on the small ferry boat.

Sasuke and Sakura sat across from her, Kakashi beside her. The Bridge Builder sat beside the Boatman who had been kind enough to give them a ride to the mainland, all be it a slow one.

Kakashi was eyeing his blonde student, or more precisely, the seal array on her wrist. It looked like a simple tattoo or even a bracelet at first glance but it was actually a seal attached to Kakashi's. If the Red-Head went over 20 kilometers away when it was active, then she'd have nature chakra deposited into her system. There wasn't enough to turn her to stone, however there was certainly enough to paralyze her and call for the Kyuubi's attention. It was their reassurance against her running away, well that on top of Madara's threats, Minato's Hirashin, and Kakashi's Ninja Hounds. The girl had tried twice to run away, and had gotten rid of the first seal they had given her. Hashirama had been the once to use the Nature seal, since he was able to gather and take Nature chakra with relative ease. In any case the attempts were fails and Naru had seemed to stop thinking about leaving at every turn

Instead Naru glared holes in her teammates' heads every day without fail, and spoke in short clips mostly.

The red head snapped her eyes up a bit while the color returned to normal.

Kakashi worried that she was talking to the fox. He didn't trust the Kyuubi, even if evidence pointed to the fox being controlled by the mystery assailant on Naruko's birthday. Minato had filled everyone the day the Kage had risen. Naruko didn't quite know, and neither did Madara. Naruko may have been told some details by Kurama, the name Naru used for him; however the fox was under the assailants control and therefore didn't remember much.

Naruko turned to Tazuna as the boatman began to go under a tunnel. Sighing, she decided now would be the best time to speak her mind. "So Tazuna, why don't you tell us why two C-Rank criminals were targeting you. We were only supposed to protect against bandits, and those two ninja just bumped this mission up to a B-Rank. However the Demon Brothers are known for working alongside the Demon of the Mist, and if my suspicions are correct, he'll be the one we face next, which makes this mission an A-Rank."

Tazuna began to sweat, and Kakashi turned towards him, along with Sakura and Sasuke. The Boatman remained silent, looking down at the waves in guilt. "Tell them old friend, they deserve to know what they may be getting into."

Tazuna sighed and nodded to the boatman, looking up at Team Seven. "The truth is that The Land of Waves has been taken over by a ruthless businessman named Gato. He had henchmen he hires, and uses them to impose taxes on trade. We are suffering, but this bridge can save us. This bridge is our only hope, as it will connect us to the mainland and make it easier to break free from Gato."

Naruko muttered under her breath in an annoyed tone. "So you gave us false information and endangered our ninja because you couldn't afford an A-Rank?"

The Bridge Builder nodded and Naru looked to Kakashi. "I still think we should continue the mission. This could test our teamwork and you already informed the Hokage. Wave can repay us once we have finished the mission and they are back on their own two feet."

Kakashi sighed and glanced to his other two Genin. "What do you two think?"

Naru felt her eyebrow tick but quickly calmed her features.

 **"Tsh, he must not have confidence in any of you if he actually has to ask on a vote. I mean he has that damned Sharingan, and you have your damned Sharingan, and then that Uchiha brat could get his Sharingan, and hell there's also the bloodlines you hold, the Banshee's medical knowledge…Must I go on?"**

Naru glanced to her teammates as she responded to Kurama. _'No you mustn't, as I get the point that you can be annoying.'_

Sasuke nodded to Kakashi, Sakura sighing dejectedly, but agreeing with Sasuke anyways. She seemed worried, but didn't want to get on Sasuke's bad side so she chose to go along with the plan to stay. It didn't matter much anyways; the vote was 2 to 1. "That settles it, we'll continue the mission and Tazuna will pay the extra fends when he can."

Tazuna nodded, sighing in relief. The Boatman sighed as well, and they reached the shore not too long after.

I~~~~I

Naru clicked her teeth together, catching the attention of her teammates. She then yawned and reached her hands behind her head, signaling that she sensed an enemy nearby. When to be frank, she sensed several, but just barely. Mostly she sensed a hostile chakra and a semi-hostile chakra a couple meters ahead. A few meters behind her she could sense a warm chakra, blazing but unburning. Her necklace was also heating against her skin, familiar and welcome. It seemed like Minato and the reinforcements had arrived. She discretely flicked her finger upward, before twirling it on a lock of hair. She pointed it forward and managed to hold up a few fingers to run through her hair and show the distance the enemy was ahead.

Naru then closed her eyes and pressed her right foot further into the ground, before lifting and doing the same with the left. In one had the Byakugan or high ranked sensor abilities, they'd see chakra being pushed into the ground and out in echo-like waves which spread to the trees, plants, and animal life. She yawned again and expelled out wind chakra after forming a one hand seal whilst playing with her hair.

Kakashi took note of this and walked a bit faster, ending up beside Sakura. The girl was trying not to twitch Naru noticed, but calmed when Kakashi was near. Sasuke stepped back by her, and then Tazuna began to fall back.

Just as he did, Naru felt the wind shift and her wind chakra was pushed back as an object flew towards them at alarming speed. Her eyes snapped open and she shoved Sasuke down and tackled Tazuna. "Get Down!"

Kakashi pushed Sakura to the ground, ducking just in time to dodge a large blade that looked much like an overgrown clever with two circles cut out of it. Kakashi was quick to get on his feet as the hatchet-sword drove into a tree. Naru was next, followed by Sasuke and then Sakura and the bridge builder.

Naru took in the sight of the ninja before them. He had on baggy black and white camo pants, a black strap clung over his shoulder for his sword, black ninja sandals, and bandages around his arms and face. His chest was left uncovered, his black spikes short and close to a thin-cut. His eyes were dark hazel, and above them rested his headband. It had Kiri's symbol, four squiggle lines going down, crossed out.

The Uzumaki bit her lip to keep form yelling out a 'called it!' Kurama only scoffed at her somewhat childish thoughts while Naru reached to her scroll and quickly unsealed her modified katana.

"A Genin sensor? I guess Konoha is known for its prodigies, but it'll take more than chakra sensing to impress me."

Naruko scoffed, and launched herself at the man before Kakashi could yell out orders. "Shut up."

The Nuke Nin smirked and flipped, grabbing the handle of his blade, before swinging down on her. She swerved and ducked under the blade, katana aligned with her arm in a backwards grip. She switched it to a forwards grip and attempted another strike. Zabuza quickly moved, staring at her with curiosity mixed with malicious intent. "Not bad brat."

I~~~~I

Madara's lips twitched up into a smirk from behind his black mask as he watched the little blonde -well former blonde- below fight the A-Rank Missing Nin. He could see the frustration on her face, weighing down on her. She wanted to go all out, he knew that, but she had to keep a low profile. That and the root operative spying on her didn't need to know of her extra bloodlines. A soft rustle was heard, before extra weight landed on the branch beside him. He didn't even have to glance over, knowing that the Gold masked man was Minato, simply by the anxiety his twitching hand showed.

Madara wanted to scoff at the man's mother hen nature that only appeared when his daughter was in the picture. Naru was considered an adult, and she could take care of herself. Zabuza was only a slight obstacle one she'd overcome with little trouble. He let out a soft sigh as Naru flashed through hand signs, cupping her mouth afterwards. "Wind Style, Vacuum Bullet!"

Naru's voice rang as she fired bullets of wind at the Mist Nin, making him jump out of the way to dodge. He held his blade close, trying to read the little Kunoichi. Madara could only smile a soft delicate smile that no one thought he could have. _'Good luck my little Kitsune.'_

I~~~~I

Naruko raised her hand, and for a moment, she glanced at Zabuza, before a smirk lit her features. Kakashi dashed to her side seconds later ordering her to protect the bridge builder. "Kakashi-Sensei, all due respect, but Zabuza is too much for you right now. You are out of shape and using your left eye will only place you under chakra exhaustion!"

Kakashi flinched at her words, but didn't take back his order. "Naru I ordered you to protect your _Teammates_ and Tazuna, now go."

The silver Scarecrow reached up, pulling his headband above his left eye. Naru growled but moved away from Kakashi, and back to the bridge builder. Zabuza tilted his head and glared at Kakashi. "Kakashi of the Sharingan, well isn't this a pleasure. Who would have thought I'd end up fighting you of all people. Still, I'd like to have another round, a real one, with that student of yours. She had potential to be a great Kunoichi, and seems to have more than just the basics of sword fighting down."

Kakashi glared at Zabuza and brought out a kunai as he ran over a plan in his head. "Leave my students out of this; it's between you and me, that's it."

Naru held her hands up and made the ram seal, two clones popping into existence. She then ordered Sakura to stand right by Tazuna as she and the clones surrounded him. Sasuke grit his teeth in annoyance as he watched Naru and her clones place three seals each on the ground. They then sent chakra into each seal, black ink shooting an out to meet with the other tags, before a barrier began to build upwards into a pyramid surrounding Sakura and Tazuna. The clones then places explosive tags right on the seal tags, so if they were removed incorrectly, they'd explode outwards.

Naru then turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, this Nin is experienced and is known for his specialty in the Art of Silent Killing."

Sasuke scoffed at her, which only gave him a glare. "Yah right Dobe, I can take him no pr-"

His was cut off when a thick chakra enhanced mist flooded the clearing. Naruko cursed silently as Kurama muttered. Killing Intent began to build, surrounding them. Naru glanced back at Sakura and Tazuna, finding them both choking on the thick air. She then turned to Sasuke, finding him frozen in shock. Naru quickly rushed over and slapped him over the head. "Snap out of it Bastard, Zabuza wouldn't waste his time killing you."

Sasuke blinked and stared at her in surprise, before shaking his head and nodding with a glare. She scoffed at his lack of training. Kurama had a shit ton more killer intent than this, and he let her know more often than not. Sighing to calm herself, she relaxed her muscles enough so it wouldn't harm her performance. She stared intently at Kakashi's dancing figure as it disappeared further into the mist, Zabuza following. She bit her lip and muttered under her breath. _'Kurama, could you lend me enough chakra to enhance my sight?'_

Kurama merely snorted in reply, a soft burning running through her eyes as the red chakra flooded into her eyes. She shivered at the sensation, peering further into the heavy mist. **"You could always use a Wind Jutsu Kit."**

Naru cursed herself for not thinking sooner, swallowing some air as she readied her chakra. She flashed through hand signs, the bijuu chakra in her eyes funneling into her mouth. "Wind Style, Vaccum Bullet!"

The large spheres of air cleared the mist easily, tearing down some trees in the process.

She had caused more damage than she should have, but Kurama's chakra was still hard to control. She froze slightly when she saw Kakashi stuck on a lake nearby, surrounded in a sphere of water. Vaguely she registered the laughing demon in her head. **"H-He, the Damned Kakashi of the S-Sharingan…got trapped in that?!"**

Naru held back a sigh, gripping her sword a little tighter as Zabuza eyed her. "So you blew away my mist? Smart."

The water in front of the Mist Nin began to grow upward, deforming as he held his left hand in a single hand sign, the other holding the water prison steady. They made pillars, before the pillars' sides stretched outwards and arms formed. The bottoms split to form legs, the three clones staring at her intently. She only narrowed her eyes in fake annoyance. She was actually quite happy to be fighting the man, however holding back so much annoyed her. She couldn't blow up the forest or lake with her jutsu, and had to limit what tags she used. Still, if all else failed she always had her Bloodline. Ignoring Kurama's snickers at her situation, she dashed forward with the intent of harming Zabuza.

Sasuke ducked under the water clone's swipe, barely rolling in time to avoid the clever-blade the man swung down onto him. He fired two kunai at him, before scrabbling upwards to dodge yet another swipe at his feet. The man was only playing with him, Sasuke knew this. It pissed him off to no end, but he knew that if Zabuza wasn't playing with him he'd be dead about now. It didn't help that Naruko was actually attacking her clone instead of constantly dodging. He wondered how the clanless orphan, how the deadlast, was able to suddenly go against a Missing Nin with only a little trouble. Of course Naru wasn't landing any hits, but at least she wasn't ducking and running.

Sasuke clenched his fist and threw a reckless punch at the clone. He screamed out when the sword sliced into his shoulder, if only barely. He hopped back and clutched his arm, before quickly going through hand seals. "Fire Style, Fire Ball Jutsu!"

The clone was surprised, and it popped into water soon after. Sasuke panted heavily as he turned to Naru, just in time to watch her jab her clone in the side. It dispersed, and she turned to him. He nodded as she gestured to the last clone and then Sasuke's backpack. They dashed, Sasuke begrudgingly working with Naru to fight off the third clone.

I~~~~I

Haku watched as the Blonde and Raven used a substitution technique and a demon shuriken to free their sensei from Master Zabuza's water prison. It worried her how the Blonde seemed to be holding back, and how she seemed unaffected by Zabuza's killer intent. She was no ordinary Genin, that much was for sure.

Haku watched as the Sensei began to copy her master's moves and hand signs to the last detail. Shaking her head, she prepared her Senbon as Zabuza began to falter. She released the Genjutsu the Copy Nin placed over the field, flinching at the last moment when she felt eyes on her. She shook off the feeling and threw the needles before appearing below the trees.

She landed on a tree branch, Zabuza slumped beside the tree in a near-death state. The Sensei walked forward, crouching to check Zabuza's pulse. Haku jumped down, the Mist Hunter Nin mask hiding her facial features. Her voice was boyish but still had that feminine tone. "Thank you Kakashi of the Sharingan, I have been hunting Zabuza-San for a long time, you gave me the opportunity to subdue him."

Kakashi stood, eyeing the Hunter Nin as he nodded. The boy looked to be maybe 14, possibly 15. "No problem."

Naru scoffed behind him as she eyed the Hunter Nin with caution. The Nin only crouched and lifted Zabuza onto his shoulder, his green and yellow yukata creasing at the movement. "Goodbye then, Kakashi-San."

The boy vanished, Kakashi sighing as he lifted his hand to cover his Sharingan eye. He turned to Naru to scold her, only for his eyes to widen in shock when she swayed and collapsed. As soon as her eyes rolled back, the barrier she placed around Sakura and Tazuna shattered. His vision blurred and he cursed Chakra Exhaustion as worry for his Sensei's daughter settled in. "N-Naruko…"

He dashed and caught her as she fell, before he too succumbed to unconsciousness.

Sakura rushed over to her Sensei and Teammate, worry evident in her eyes. "Kakashi-Sensei, Naruko!"

The pinkette bit her lip and carefully focused chakra into her hands. She had to remain calm, if she didn't then she wouldn't be able to help her comrades. She didn't want to be useless. She quickly healed any obvious injuries, before her brow furrowed as she looked at Naru's right hand. She removed the glove carefully, finding the oozing wound. "O-Oh no. T-Tazuna-San we need to get them to your house quickly! Naruko was poisoned!"

Tazuna went stiff before he and Sasuke moved to help Sakura carry the two passed out Nin.

I~~~~I

 _Naru shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she looked around the frozen lake. Snow fell heavily around her, however the moment it touched the ground it seemed to vanish into nothing. Her hair stood on end as a hand touched her shoulder, another holding a kunai to her neck, pressing it into her jugular._ _ **"Hello, Kistune."**_

 _She gasped, and stepped back, further into the red-eyed boy's chest. He chuckled darkly into her ear, and his other hand channeled chakra into her seal._ _ **"You can't run, you can't hide. I will**_ **always** ** _be here."_**

 _His cold breath touched her ear, and she felt her eyes close as her body went numb._ _ **"Fall…Fall little Kitsune."**_

Naru's eyes snapped open as she shot forward, panting heavily as cold sweat rolled down her neck. Her heart beat frantically, and her hair was plastered to her face. The figure's words echoed in her head as she began to breathe faster. Her vision blurred, and faintly she registered two hands shaking her shoulders. Muffled words tried to reach her ears but came out as nothing but gibberish. What did he want from her? Why was he in her dreams? Why wouldn't he let her go? Her mind swam with the possible explanations, but overall she couldn't think of anything logical.

Naruko felt a sudden warmth on her cheek, and her vision began to focus. She blinked, staring into a dark onyx eye, silver hair falling haphazardly over his face. He kept trying to say something to her, but she couldn't hear him. She focused on his lips, finding it hard to stay upright. Her lungs stung, and faintly she registered what he was trying to tell her. _"Breathe."_

Air shot into the Jinchuuriki's lungs and she took it in greedily, coughing at the foreign feeling. It still stung, and she couldn't hear as well, but she could still see. She leaned against the warmth on her cheek, her body shaking and cold. It felt like millions of little ice needles were flowing into her veins. As she grew accustomed to breathing, she heard a relieved sigh come from above her. She was hesitantly pressed into something warm, the figure hugging her. "Naruko, are you alright, can you breathe?"

The Uzumaki flinched at the voice, and pulled away, her mind beginning to make sense of the situation. She fell back against her mat where she had been sleeping before. She looked at Kakashi, and grit her teeth as he flinched slightly. She guessed it had to do with her pushing him away, but her mind still wasn't up to speed.

"I'm fine, Kakashi-Sensei."

Naru stressed the title, hoping to remind him that he shouldn't show favoritism among his students, even if she was his Sensei's daughter. Then again, from what her had told her, Kakashi had been closer to his teammates than he had been to him. That and after Rin's death, Kakashi had distanced himself from everyone and had only talked to Minato when accepting missions from ANBU.

Shaking her head of red hair gently to clear it from the mess of thoughts, Naruko looked back at her Sensei. Kakashi had stiffened again, his emotional mask back up to avoid having her read him. He sighed and stood stiffly. She noticed he had his leg bandaged, and that he reached for a pair of crutched nearby. "I'll let the others know you are awake. Are you in any pain?"

At the shake of her head he nodded and walked out of the room. Naruko sighed and stood, glancing down at the white pajama's that she wore. They were a size too big, but she wasn't going to be wearing them for long so it didn't really matter. She glanced around, and upon spotting her gear lay beside her, she set to work organizing her belongings and getting her clothes on.

I~~~~I

Naru walked down the stairs, coming into a dining room of sorts. Sasuke, Sakura, Tazuna, Kakashi, and a woman in her late twenties wearing a pink apron with brown hair all were there, the latter cooking breakfast while the rest waited at the table. They looked up, and Kakashi's visible eye widened a fraction. Naruko was wearing a black skirt and a beige blouse, with two kunai pouches strapped to the dark green belt around her waist. Several scrolls lined the belt, as well as a canteen for water. Her hair was pulled into a small ponytail, the red locks sticking out in different directions, whilst her blue eyes were hidden by a pair of green contacts.

It surprised her teammates that she had chosen to hide her eye color, however Kakashi guessed that the reason for this was that she wanted to be prepared in case she had to use her Sharingan. The contacts were a special design her father and Iraku had worked on before both had met their end. Kakashi was grateful he could control his pain, as the thought of Iraku's demise brought pain to his heart. He had been of the first to respond to the Kyuubi attack, his body unable to be found.

"What? A girl can't walk down some stairs without getting stared at?"

The red-head scoffed and sat down beside Sasuke, who had gained his bearings enough to manage a slight glare. "Dobe, what are you wearing?"

Sakura was staring at Naru with thinly veiled jealousy, whilst Kakashi listened closely. "A skirt, shorts, and a shirt. Oh and sandals."

Naru offered a yawn, before glancing up as Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, walked into the room with breakfast on platters. "Thank you for the breakfast, Miss…?"

Tsunami jumped slightly at the sight of Naru, only to smile and set the food down on the table. "Tsunami, just Tsunami please. You're Naruko-Chan right?"

Naru blushed slightly but nodded with a small smile. "Okay Tsunami."

The woman smiled back, and asked Sakura and Naru for help with the rest of the food. The two stood and followed the older female, leaving the guys to watch after them. "So the Dobe is a girl. Hn."

As Sasuke's gaze lingered on Naru a bit longer than a certain blonde saw fit, he began to feel a heated glare from his left side (where Kakashi sat) and faintly thought he heard someone say, 'Damned Uchiha…'.

(Somewhere in the Land of Rain, Itachi sneezed, rubbing his nose. "Must be Outoto…")

I~~~~I

After breakfast Team Seven proceeded to train by climbing trees, something that Sakura got on her first try. This however landed Sakura with practicing walking up the tree on her hands. Naru cursed Kurama, who made it hard for her to keep her chakra control above normal. His chakra was fluctuating, a result of that bastard figure no doubt, and it made it harder for her to balance it and control it. Sighing softly, she focused the chakra to her feet again, and then proceeded to take a slow step onto the tree, before pressing her other foot. She kept her eyes closed, her chakra channeling into the tree, flowing through the ground.

Pausing from reading his book, Kakashi glanced over to Naruko as her warm chakra filled the air. She was walking up the tree slowly, carefully planning each step. Sasuke turned to watch, gritting his teeth as he watched the Dobe do something he couldn't. Clenching his fist, he shouted to her, hoping to make her fall. "Hey, Dobe!"

Kakashi saw this and readied to save Naruko form falling, when she simply opened her eyes. She started to fall, only to turn, and flip. She landed gracefully, facing away from Sasuke. His eyes narrowed on her contacts, but she merely stared into the forest. She then looked back at Sasuke, who glared at her. "Teme."

Naru then turned and ran back up the tree. To Sasuke's ire, she made it up farther than he did, almost to the top, before having to jump back down. "That's how it's done, bastard." She smirked at Sasuke, a dangerous glint taking residence in her eyes.

Deciding it was best to take a break, Kakashi called his students down to a stump. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, and Sasuke begrudgingly walked over. Naruko merely sat where she stood, sighing. She looked at him as she stretched backward, her palms lying flat on the ground to keep her back from touching the grass. Kakashi took out three scrolls and tossed one to each of them, his lips twitching into a smirk. "While we're resting your chakra coils, I'm going to teach you Fuinjutsu."

 **Sorry that this chapter took forever. I was scrambling to do my History project (My friends weren't much help, and were constantly asking me what to do…) and was worrying over my FCCLA Star Event…Who would have thought that a block of Styrofoam would cost so much. Anyways I decided to finish this chapter up and start my other so I don't fall behind. The updates are more than likely to be 2 a month now, maybe 3, no promises. Well thanks for reading!**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 ** _Chapter I, Naruko Akihane Uzumaki-I am adorable, BELIEVE IT! Part II_**

 _Bright blue eyes twinkled with mischief, a smirk adorning the tanned girl's lips._

 _She smirked and cackled softly to herself, staring at her masterpiece._

 _Before her were her clones, all henged to look like various people she knew._

 _The first was the Scarecrow, gravity defying hair and all._

 _The second was the Old Monkey, with his Hokage robes (the actual ones too)_

 _The third was Iruka Sensei, ready to scold anyone 'he' saw._

 _And the last was the bastard Teme, and all his Duck-Butt glory._

 _Rubbing her hands together, she let out a soft giggle of glee, before cupping her mouth._

 _"OMG!, Sasuke's running without his shirt!"_

 _The Sasuke clone dashed away, just as a hoard of fangirls ran by, narrowly missing Naru's clones._

 _"What fun…"_

 _And so, at the end of the day, Sasuke's fangirls had torn her clone to shreds, Iruka was framed for stealing chickens, The Hokage was hoarding all the candy in Konoha, and Kakashi had been spotted peeking into women's bathhouses wearing a tutu._

 _All in all, Naruko was going to have enough laughter to last her a few years, even with the sound of her name being shouted all over Konoha._

 ** _Preview_**

 _Red chakra built up around Naruko, the spikes in her hair pushing upward as the debris on the bridge began to follow. Tools, nails, and pieces of wood began to float upward as Naru's chakra broke the ice mirrors surrounding her. She glared at Haku, and flashed through hand signs quickly. "Blood Style, Three Petal Lotus Flower Jutsu!" The chakra turned to razors, forming three large petals that circled the red-head._


	7. VII Dance of Blood

**Okay so this may or may not be expected, but Naru's darker…half…will be making an appearance. I'm not sure if you will get the reference, but you'd have to be pretty far in the series to get it anyways. It will all be explained soon though, so just be patient. I'm also doing this on a 7-6 hour sleep schedule, and after taking a trip to Alamosa (6 hour round trip) and getting home at 2 in the morning (this morning) so yah. Sorry if it's not up to par but I still liked where I went with it, and I'll be going back to edit it soon anyways.**

 **Little reminder for the speech, since it'll be changing more than normal in this chapter.**

 _'Thoughts'_

 _(")Flashbacks(")_

 ** _(',")Darker Half Speech(",')_**

 **"Kurama, Black Zetsu"**

"Normal"

 _Naru took shallow breathes, her chest rising and falling slowly. She muttered under her breath, sighing before standing again. She raised her arms and began to flow through hand signs, picking up pace as she neared the last set. She finally stopped, channeling her blood chakra into her fingers. She bit her thumbs, before finally doing the last hand sign. "Blood Style, Blood Prison Jutsu!"_

 _She slammed her hand onto the ground, blood chakra shooting out of her fingertips, ripping into the ground before rising upward. Naru grinned, but it was short lived when she cried out, the chakra falling apart and hitting the ground. She collapsed, panting heavily as it vanished into the earth. A curse spilt through her lips as pain tore through her chakra network. She groaned and turned herself onto her back, only to freeze when she caught the gaze of a long haired raven, wearing a pink kimono. Naru sat up, wincing as her chakra coils tightened. "Zabuza's little Hunter…Who would have thought I'd run into you."_

Flanking to the right, Naru spun two kunai into her palms and tossed them at the ice mirrors surrounding them. They bounced off, the dent created being covered. She grunted and pressed backwards against Sasuke's back, smirking when she felt his shallow breaths from the rise and fall of his back. "Exhausted yet Sasuke-Teme?"

Sasuke grunted, smirking despite actually wearing down. "In your dreams Dobe."

Naruko merely blocked a set of Senbon aimed for her chest, green eyes narrowed as her Sharingan spun behind the contacts. "Alright, formation V."

Sasuke nodded, and they pushed onto the ground and launched themselves against the mirrors surrounding them.

 _Haku looked into Naru's eyes as the red head stretched her arms above her head like a cat. The whisker marks on her cheeks helped prove the fat, but it still felt wrong to Haku for her to call the Kunoichi a cat. "Haku, actually."_

 _Naru raised a brow at the other girl's obvious lack of hostility. Haku held a basket of herbs, along with a canteen of water. Naru still had on her ninja gear, however she looked more feminine with her skirt and blouse. She sent chakra into the ground, sighing as she realized she and Haku were actually really alone. "Naruko, Uzumaki Naruko."_

 _Haku paused, but nodded at Naru as the girl relaxed. "I'd say we call a small truce for now, I don't feel like fighting and I can tell you only hurt people to help out Zabuza."_

Sasuke let out a Great Fireball, while Naru let loose a wind bullet to enhance it. Even with the extra power added to the fire from the wind however, the ice still didn't melt. Cursing gently Naruko fell back into the middle, Sasuke pressing his back into hers seconds later as they rotated, striking down Senbon with their kunai.

Naru winced when on made contact with her leg, Sasuke grunting as a few hit his arm. Haku continued to travel through the mirrors, and even though he was moving slower than before due to the Sharingan helping both of them read his movements, Naru still couldn't attack him with the strength she needed to break through the mirrors. She had to plan carefully, after all Danzo's Ne Spy was watching her and the Uchiha Brat.

 _Haku giggled softly as Naru sneezed on some flowers, the two girls picking up herbs and placing them in the basket. Haku was showing Naru which were useful, poisonous, or just beautiful. It felt nice to have another girl to talk to; however Haku forced herself to still remain distanced from Naru. She could tell the red head was doing the same, based on the way she laughed half-heartedly._

The Jinchuuriki let out a soft gasp as one needle struck her side, and another struck her knee. She created an array of clones to help block the amount of Senbon Haku was launching at them. "Damn it."

Naruko pivoted away from Sasuke to block another row of Senbon, only to realize her mistake too late. She felt another set of Senbon lace the back of her leg, causing her to collapse forward. _'If this continues, I'm going to have to use blood-style or Kurama.'_

 _Haku paused for a moment, before looking down at Naru as the girl dozed on her lap. She was slightly surprised to find that Naru was younger than her by two years. She had thought that the girl was at least her age, based on the way she carried herself and the amount of training she seemed to have. "Naru, do you have a precious person?"_

 _Naru's hand still rested on her Kunai pouch, and Haku's rested on her Kimono, ready to grab her Senbon at a moment's notice. "Precious person?"_

 _The girl paused, before sitting up, her eyes holding a haunted look. Haku was shocked when Naru shuddered, closing her green orbs before standing. "She'd dead."_

 _With that, she walked away, leaving Haku to stare after her in amazement and shock._

Sasuke was in front of Naru in moments, taking in more than one or two dozen Senbon. He let out a grunt of pain, Naru's eyes widening in shock. " _S-Sasuke?!_ "

Sasuke fell forward, Naru moving quickly to catch him. Haku stopped moving in her mirrors, watching the scene with interest. Naur said she had no one precious to her, _and yet_ , she still guarded her raven haired teammate, she still protected her Sensei. Now was the time to strip Naru of her mask as Naur had stripped Haku of her shield. "Teme, what the hell!?"

Naru held Sasuke carefully as he bled onto her hands. She didn't care as the needles dug into her skin, she didn't care about anything other than his fathering breaths. "Idiot…"

Sasuke smirked at her. "You g-gonna cry now D-dobe? W-where's that bitchy side of yours, h-huh?"

The dying Uchiha coughed out blood onto Naru's shirt, but she could care less. In her mind, she was back in the rain, under a tree all too familiar. In her arms was Sashiko, a smile etched onto her _pale_ _lifeless_ _face._ Her emotions began to spin as her Sharingan followed. Images flashed into her mind, of blood, chakra, steel, blue hair, sad eyes, fear. "I-I don't k-know…why I…was-"

The Raven froze mid-sentence, unable to complete his last words. Naru didn't care much about the words though. No, she cared more about the fact that he wasn't breathing. She shouldn't care, however their training flashed into her head. This memory was soon followed by their D-Ranks together, of their team meetings, of the bell test, being assigned to Team 7. It went farther though, her mind conjuring up images of her ignoring him, of Kiba fighting with Sasuke, of Sakura fighting with Ino over who would marry Sasuke. Her head began to hurt as the images stopped on her 5 year old self, walking home from visiting Sashiko's grave. She was by the Uchiha docks, trying to keep in her tears as her blonde pigtails pressed into her cheeks, and she turned. Sitting on the dock was Sasuke, right after the Uchiha massacre. He looked up at her, and she froze in her stroll. They shared a look together, iris and sky blue.

Naru snapped to the present, standing after setting Sasuke onto the bridge, her fingers sliding his eyes closed. She tilted her head upward, the inner storm inside of her growing. She looked over to where Haku was, her contacts having been burned off. Black slit pupiled red eyes stared into Haku's soul, hatred, sadness and darkness expressed in one look.

Red chakra built up around Naruko, the spikes in her hair pushing upward as the debris on the bridge began to follow. Tools, nails, and pieces of wood began to float upward as Naru's chakra broke the ice mirrors surrounding her. She glared at Haku, and flashed through hand signs quickly. "Blood Style, Three Petal Lotus Flower Jutsu!"

The chakra turned to razors, forming three large petals that circled the red-head. Haku was launched back as the attack spun around Naru at a dangerous pace. Naru held out her hand, before making the Ram sign. "Blood Clone Jutsu!"

The voice of the red haired Kunoichi in front of Haku held a dark hatred that shook the very air. The Ice Kunoichi didn't know what to do against this Naru, though she could only blame herself. "Naruko."

Naru snarled at her, and dashed with her clones. "Shut up Haku! You…"

Naruko appeared in front of Haku in a burst of speed, punching her across the bridge. Haku let out a scream of pain as she felt the punch. She was surprised she hadn't broken a rib form just that one hit.

Zabuza turned sharply at the sound of Haku's scream, Kakashi's blood turning to ice as he sensed the malicious chakra filling the air. " _Naru!_ "

Both of the nin stopped their battles to watch as one of Naru's clones drop-kicked Haku into the bridge, forcing boards upwards as the force caused Haku to break into the wood. Her other clone flashed through hand signs, standing not too far away. "Blood Style, Blood Whip Technique!"

The clone slashed a giant string of dark red chakra down onto Haku as the actual Naru walked closer, see-through red chakra and dark red chakra surrounding her, her red eyes having slit pupils. Her hair hung upwards in vicious spikes, a sick twisted smile resting on her face. She laughed out, her voice deeper. **_"Lovely, isn't it…"_**

The chilling voice was like a thousand needles to Kakashi's spine, forcing him to do a double take. Naru stood in front of Haku's unconscious and brutally beat form. **_"Such destruction…it's like a seductress that keeps whispering sweet nothings and naughty words into your head. Of course, in the Kitsune's case, it would be me whispering such things into her ear. It's fun."_**

Naru looked up at Kakashi, and smirked darkly, canines and all. Kakashi shivered, only to feel like he was on fire when Naru tilted her head, looking behind him. The two blood clones stepped beside their creator, leaving Haku alone for the moment as Gato tried to speak.

 ** _"Come to kill your nin, have you Scum?"_**

Gato growled, regaining his bearings as he began to sweat. "Y-You…I'll pay you double, n-no triple what these people are paying you if you kill these nin and leave me out of it!"

Zabuza growled in anger, turning to glare at Gato. "You bastard!"

Naru sighed, and closed her eyes. The chakra receded, covering her face, before it turned into an actual red hood, her hair lengthening a bit, her soft girlish features becoming sharper. Opening her, no _his_ eyes now, Naru released his clones. **_"Or I could kill you for free."_**

Naru merely became a red blur, going from samurai to samurai until her reached Gato. As he stepped in front of the despicable man, the samurai who had come as guards all fell to the ground as blood sprayed from their bodies. Their heads rolled across the bridge or into the water. Naru, no Kakashi thought, the _thing_ that was _controlling_ Naru, stepped forward, laughing in actual amusement. **_"It's just sad that the little Kitsune won't remember this. Oh the breakdown she'd have if she had seen what I have done in her stead."_**

The man turned sharply, the kunai in his grasp severing Gato's head from his body before he could try to bargain for his life. He looked up at Kakashi again, and licked his lips. **_"If she asks, just tell her that Kurai Hafu decided to take over."_**

A sudden burst of red chakra surrounded Naru, expelling outwards. Kakashi shielded his face, Zabuza doing the same as they used Chakra to stick their feet to the bridge. When the wind and chakra cleared, Kakashi saw Naru falling to the ground, the red cloak from before all that covered her.

Kakashi dashed, catching her before she hit the ground. He moved his headband over his Sharingan as he looked down at her, pulling the cloak securely around her neck. He was glad he had made Sakura stay at Tazuna's house now, it meant he'd just have to keep Zabuza and Haku shut about the whole ordeal. Turning to confront the nin, he found Madara in front of him. "Kakashi…"

The man was of course dressed like an Anbu, which was a good thing. It meant he didn't have to worry about his identity.

Minato watched as Zabuza walked over to Haku, picking her up gently. He stood several paces behind the Missing nin, his brow creased. "You pretend that she is only a tool to you, but I know that look."

Zabuza glanced toward Kakashi, scowling. "What look?"

The Mist Nnin growled out the words, making Minato sigh. "It's the way a Father looks at his daughter."

Zabuza glanced back at Haku, sighing. "You're a father?"

Minato smiled behind his mask, chuckling out loud. "Yes."

Zabuza looked to Minato again. "What do you want, ANBU?"

Minato smirked, and Zabuza felt his eye twitch at the playful aura to supposedly _Elite_ nin displayed. "Kin Kitsune please Zabuza-San, and I wanted to ask you something."

Zabuza nodded begrudgingly at Minato, who took out a scroll. He walked towards Zabuza, stopping in his tracks to hold it out to him. "I want to know if you would join the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

I~~~~I

Naruko groaned softly, twisting on her matt. Her eyes moved franticly under her eyelids, Madara and Kakashi watching as she whimpered. Kakashi took her hand, squeezing gently to reassure her as much as he could. "Naru…"

The Scarecrow Sensei brushed her hair back and took the steaming rag off her forehead. Madara leaned on the wall, his mask strapped to his side as he watched Kakashi ring out the dish rag. After replacing it on Naru's forehead after drenching it in cold water, Kakashi looked up to Madara.

Madara returned the stare, his eyes blank. The man before him was quite the troubling person, with his sharp intellect but lazy exterior. He reminded Madara slightly of Hashirama. The silver hair and thinly veiled dislike for him though made him seem more like Tobirama, but Tobirama was too serious too really match up with the Scarecrow.

"The man, the one that took over her, he wasn't the Kyuubi, was he?"

Madara glanced back down at Naru, relaxing slightly as she calmed down some. She had been under a fever since the bridge incident, which was definitely new, since the Fox normally took care of illness. This suggested that the Fox was unable to help, or that Naruko was under enough mental stress to keep him on his toes. It didn't help that she had been poisoned days earlier, or that she had just watched someone else die in front of her.

Madara was no fool, Naru's mind was a very delicate thing, and the thought of someone who, though she'd never admit it, she cared for dying was enough to send her over the edge. She had seen death at an earlier age than he had, as young as his youngest brother actually. He quickly pushed the thoughts of his dead siblings aside to study the red head and possibly answer Kakashi's question. He took a couple more seconds before pushing off the wall. "No. I don't know exactly what he was…though his name suggests that he is actually her."

Kakashi paused, brushing Naru's hair behind her ear, pulling away before his touch lingered too long. "Kurai Hafu, literally meaning Darker Half."

Madara walked to the door, taking his mask off his belt to replace it on his face. He glanced back at Kakashi, the mask almost completely on. "One can only suffer so much before their body and mind take measures to cope against the pain and hatred. I suspect that Kurai is actually a defense she built because of the hatred she experienced when growing up."

The Uchiha Betrayer pushed the mask firmly in place and exited through the door.

Kakashi sighed gently, replacing the hot rag with a cool one once more. "I wouldn't put it past you Naru, you are truly something to behold. The pain you have gone through, the loss and the sadness eating away at your sanity. It's no wonder…that you don't see Konoha as your home, merely your prison."

The Sensei moved to place the rag on her forehead again, only for his eyes to widen when Naru's hand shot up and grabbed his wrist. Her eyes opened, revealing glassy blue orbs. She stared at him as her breaths came out in short sharp pants. "K-Kakashi-S-sensei…"

Kakashi didn't try to hide his shock, simply watching as his student groaned. "D-Damn it…W-What happened…What were you and the Emo-S-sensei talking about."

Kakashi relaxed and gently removed her fingers form his wrist, only to hold her hand in his. It felt weird to try and comfort her when she was awake, and it was even weirder when she didn't try to pull away. "K-Kakashi…"

The Scarecrow sighed gently, and helped her up into a sitting position, propping her up against the wall. "Listen okay? First you should know that Sasuke is okay…Haku merely put him in a comatose state."

Naru's eyes widened, the glassy look clearing as she tried to lurch forward. He quickly caught her and pushed her back against the wall. "Naru, you aren't strong enough, you have a fever and the Kyuubi isn't helping…"

Naru bit her lip, closing her eyes as she leaning back. "K-Kurama…He's sleeping…said something about…sealing my other self away. D-Did I do anything?"

She opened her eyes, staring into his soul. He flinched, her gaze reminding him of the gleeful sadistic look that Kurai had given him before turning his attention to Gato. "You didn't do anything Naru…but your other self, Kurai he said his name was…He told me to tell you that he decided to take over."

Naru froze, and her eyes widened. Her breathing stopped as she roamed over her memories. Her free hand went to her head, and she shuddered. "K-Kurai? Darker Half…Kurama said…h-he said that that bastard…"

The Uzumaki grit her teeth as she finally began to breathe again, her eyes filling with hatred as her hand gripped his. He didn't notice the pain, too intent on figuring out what she was muttering. "That bastard…first he invades my dreams and then controls my thoughts…now he's decided I'm just his little puppet?!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he caught on about the dream, remembering Minato telling him about Naruto's recent nightmares. He also remembered Madara telling him about her breaking down at her house the morning that they found the scrolls Sashi had prepared for Naru. Now she was linking them to Kurai, the man who seemed to be her defense against her _life_. "The Kyuubi said he sealed Kurai away…right Naru?"

Naru turned her attention to him, and then to his hand around hers. She let out a heavy breath, closing her eyes again. "I-I don't…I can't talk to him. I-I think he did, he was mumbling about it before he fell asleep anyways. I don't feel that guy's presence anymore…Kurai's I mean."

Naruko sounded as though she was testing the name, deeming it odd yet fitting for the alternate persona. "Alright, you might want to rest up then. If there isn't a possibility of Kurai taking over again or doing whatever he did…"

Naru scoffed, pulling her hand from his. "Doesn't matter anymore…The bastard won't get into my mind…N-Not again."

Stubborn blue eyes glared down at the red head's lap while Naru's right hand settled over the seal on her stomach. "I won't be that weak."

Kakashi sighed gently as Naru's mask returned to her face. He wondered if this was how annoyed Obito always was whenever he ignored him and recited the shinobi rules like they were his life. He silently thanked his friend for what seemed like the thousandth time for putting up with his stubborn ass. "You aren't, but don't forget that you aren't nearly as powerful alone as you are with other people."

Naru looked up at him, and let a sarcastic smile take place on her lips. "The only person who I ever shared my strength with was Sashiko, and she's long dead. I have no one else."

Kakashi grit his teeth under his mask, and in seconds, he had forced Naru against the wall again, their eyes locked in a dangerous battle. Her Sharingan activated automatically, her contacts having been burned up by the Kyuubi's chakra mixing with her blood chakra. "You act as though you truly have nothing, but you have Minato-Sensei, the Kage, your teammates, you have Madara Uchiha and _me_. You are not alone; we will share your burden and protect you with our _lives_."

Naru flinched, but maintained her glare. "Just because he is my father, does not mean Minato is automatically precious to me…He sealed a demon into me, he chose the village over his own daughter and his best friend's daughter…He left us defenseless. I barely know the other Kage, and Sarutobi never once saw the growing malice. He was blinded by his ideals that people could _change_."

The emotional Jinchuuriki bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, her eyes growing teary. "Madara wants to turn me into an emotionless tool he can command, to take away my freedom. And you…You want me to be the ideal little student who protects people who want her dead. You want me to _give my life_ , for people who killed the only precious person I had."

Naru pressed her hand to his chest, and a surge of red chakra sent Kakashi back. He winced as he felt his chest burn, Naru standing as she grabbed her equipment. "Send someone who I can stand when we're ready to leave."

Naru turned and stalked to the door, sliding it open before sliding it closed. She walked down the stairs, reaching about halfway before she let out a soft sob, pumping chakra into her feet to gain speed as she dashed through the house, out the back and over the water. She felt the burning of her muscles, and her head swam as the blood rushed form her skull at the sudden movement. She didn't care much though, only stopping when she was deep in the forest. She collapsed, curling into a ball as her head pounded, her eyes flickering form her Sharingan to slits. "I'm not supposed to give a damn…"

I~~~~I

Haku sighed gently when she saw Naru, now dressed in her ninja attire, meditating upside-down from a tree branch. The girl was obviously frustrated, two leaves stuck to her cheeks, one to her forehead. "Chakra control is also known to help calm your emotions. Is that true Naru-Chan?"

Naru didn't open her eyes or show she had heard Haku, though Haku knew that the other Kunoichi had. Sighing, Haku sat down on a log, folding her Kimono under her. Her chest was bandaged and her arm was in a sling, curtesy of the girl in front of her. Haku didn't blame her though, as she had thought that the ice nin had killed her friend. She watched Naru as the girl remained utterly still, her breaths measured and controlled. She still had an irritated aura, however unless you were a sensory nin like Haku, or knew Naruko really well, you wouldn't notice it.

The comfortable silence went on for several minutes, before Naru opened her eyes, dropping down onto the ground. She flipped and landed in a grace full crouch, standing and grabbing the leaves as they floated downward. She sighed gently, looking at Haku. "Thank you…for not actually killing Sasuke. Still, if we end up as enemies ever again, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Opening her hand, Naru revealed a leaf with a small slice taken out of a part of it. She shook her head and dropped it to the ground, walking past Haku. Haku let her go, a smile present on her lips. She spoke as Naru was just about to launch herself into the trees. "That won't be a problem. Zabuza-San and I decided to join Konoha. The Gold-masked Anbu asked men to tell you 'A flower may bloom, and it may die, but it always does so in beauty.'"

Naru flinched at the little code her father had run through her head. He was there for her, and even as she grew older, he always would be. She then launched herself into the forest, shaking once more. This time though, she only shook, before surprising her emotions.

 **Finished! So this came sooner than I thought it would, I thought I'd be doing this for** ** _days,_** **but it seems that I wasn't. Thanks for reading, and for the Reviews!**

 **I tried to shorten the Paragraphs, but I'm not too sure how I did. I also gave insight on Naru's other self, effectively laying the ground work for the Chunin Exams and the battle against Orochimaru. Next chapter will be a filler of sorts, showing the different years of Jiraya and Itachi's lives up until the Chunin Exams Arc.**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **This the small Land of Waves section, and the official introductory faze.**

 **Arcs go as follows:**

 **Introductory (Graduation Exams, Land of Waves)-7 Chapters**

 **Chunin Exams-8-10 Chapters**

 **Tsunade Retrieval-3-5 Chapters**

 **Uchiha's Betrayal (bet you can guess what that means…hehe)-2-3 Chapters**

 **Preview**

 _Itachi chose then to look up to the sky and let his tears fall down his cheeks. This would be the last time he would ever cry, as Missing Nin did not show feelings. He was a heartless killer now, his pain was irrelevant. He could only hope that Sasuke ended his misery sooner rather than later. It was the only selfish thing he ever wanted, to die by his brother's hand. He truly was a cruel elder brother. "I'm sorry Ototou."_

 _Jiraya closed his eyes, standing before the memorial stone. Engraved on its smooth surface were several more names, several more ninja lost. They were friends, students, teachers, and most of all, family. They had nestled their way into his heart, and just as quickly torn it out as they died, the appendage still clutched in their fingers. Jiraya turned away after brushing his fingers over the two names, shivering as he felt his sorrow grow. Michiko Oreshizoku, Iraku Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Miya and Miko Oreshizoku, and many, many more were freshly carved into the obelisk. He did not know them all, but the ones he did know were enough to make tears slip down his cheeks._


	8. VIII Ninja Lost

**Alright, I hope you guys had a Happy Halloween! I myself got a bag of candy, and got to spend time with my sister. And I got to see her in a Cookie Monster Fuzzy Onesie, so you know, well worth it. This chapter is gonna be a filler chapter about Itachi and Jiraya's travels and time away from Konoha. It'll set the ground for the Chunin Exams and the bonds they will share with their respected loved ones. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go cuddle into my blankets, its freezing!**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, but I do own the Oreshizoku Clans, Ichihara, Michiko, Sashiko, Iraku, the Twins, and a couple other OC's**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the pile of candy on my desk that I really shouldn't eat, and my kitty Ginger (Brother arguably says he's his…) who looks adorable even though he's 10 years old.**

 _'Thoughts'_

 _(")Flashbacks(")_

 ** _(',")Darker Half Speech(",')_**

 **"Kurama, Black Zetsu"**

"Normal"

 ** _They Are Human, by Rose Anne_**

 _Ninja are human, with emotions and with pain._

 _They have faults like our own,_

 _They know of our lives and out thoughts._

 _They are dark but alive, lonely but standing._

 _They do not falter in their duties,_

 _They die for those they love._

 _To them,_

 _It is kill or be killed,_

 _Love in order to destroy hate,_

 _Hate to take over love._

 _They are Ninja,_

 _The darkness in our world_

 _But human none the less_

I~~ **6 Years Before Graduation Exam-Itachi** ~~I

Itachi stared down at the blood on his hands, on the floor, on his blade, on his parents. They lay sprawled out on the wooden floors, still bleeding. He closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his bloodstained cheek. He could hear footsteps below, signaling that Sasuke was home. He swayed slightly, looking at the ceiling. He would give up his own soul for this nightmare to simply be a dream. It wasn't though, he had to accept that. Sighing deeply, he turned, the shogi door opening. "Kaa-San, Tou-San!"

Itachi flinched at his brother's yelling. He remembered the similar pleas from the other children as he cut their parents in half, before slitting their little throats. He had wanted it to be quick for them, he didn't want them to suffer. "I-Itachi?!"

Itachi somehow managed to glare at Sasuke instead of comfort and hug him. He needed to do this, as selfish as it was. He needed to protect Sasuke and make him hate him with every fiber of his being. He couldn't allow Sasuke to see the darkness deep within Konoha. "Foolish little Ototou…" His Sharingan spun as Sasuke stepped backwards in fear. "W-what happened Itachi-Ni?!"

Itachi feigned boredom, glancing down at his parents corpses. "I wanted to test my strength…They were hardly a challenge at all."

The teen's world blurred out, Sasuke's scream taking over his memory five minutes before, and five minutes after he put him inside of Tsukuyomi.

Itachi did not look back as he flew over the walls of the village, the warning bells sounding. Itachi didn't hear them though, Sasuke's whimpers and cries fresh in his mind. He flew through the forest, pushing past hundreds of trees within seconds. He wanted to scream for once. He wanted to let out all his emotions, but he kept them inside. His heart was cold, almost like ice.

Itachi chose then to look up to the sky and let his tears fall down his cheeks. This would be the last time he would ever cry, as Missing Nin did not show feelings. He was a heartless killer now, his pain was irrelevant. He could only hope that Sasuke ended his misery sooner rather than later. It was the only selfish thing he ever wanted, to die by his brother's hand. He truly was a cruel elder brother. "I'm sorry Ototou."

Uchiha Itachi's words went unheard as he vanished into the windy night.

I~~ **13 Years Before Graduation Exam-Jiraya** ~~I

The blue sky contrasted greatly with the mood of the village below. Konoha was currently in mourning, parts of the village destroyed beyond recognition, the nearby forest mowed down by an unseen disaster. Standing at one of the few standing training grounds was a man wearing a green and red coat, a giant scroll attached to his back. His white hair was held back by a headband with the kanji for oil on its metal plate. Jiraya closed his eyes, standing before the memorial stone. Engraved on its smooth surface were several more names, several more ninja lost.

They were friends, students, teachers, and most of all, family. They had nestled their way into his heart, and just as quickly torn it out as they died, the appendage still clutched in their fingers. Jiraya turned away after brushing his fingers over the two names, shivering as he felt his sorrow grow. Michiko Oreshizoku, Iraku Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Miya and Miko Oreshizoku, and many, many more were freshly carved into the obelisk. He did not know them all, but the ones he did know were enough to make tears slip down his cheeks.

Both of his students, Michiko's twin children, and their lovers were gone in a flash. He grit his teeth as he stared down at the stone. Soft footsteps sounded behind him, before a young boy, barely 13 years old, came to stand beside him. Jiraya glanced to the boy, his heart beginning to hurt. The boy was an exact copy of Iraku, his eyes only a tad lighter shade of blue. It was rare for Uchiha to have anything other than the standard onyx eye color, but Iraku's father and himself had both managed the feat. The child beside him was no different. "Ichihara."

Ichihara flinched at the use of his name, reaching to ghost his hands over the names of his dead siblings. "I-I'm leaving…Konoha that is. Sarutobi…He already gave me permission."

Jiraya sighed gently, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. Ichihara's blue eyes were shiny, and more than likely he had shed some tears as well. It would be strange to not see anyone sad though. The Kyuubi had taken too much from them. "I probably won't ever come back…Konoha holds nothing but sorrow for me."

Looking up to Jiraya, Ichihara managed a sad smile. "Goodbye Jiraya-Sensei…"

Jiraya froze, unable to answer as the child leaned and kissed the stone, laying down a set of marigolds, before he turned and walked away.

I~~ **7 Years Later-Itachi** ~~I

Itachi looked over the man before him, his blue skin and shark like appearance nothing short of distracting. Itachi wasn't really scared though, just annoyed. Sighing gently, he looked at the cloak set on a dusty coffee table inside of the dusty safe house. He walked forward, his sandals left at the steps of the door. He made no noise as he picked up the fabric, walking towards the next room over. The shark-like man only smirked, and walked out of the house.

Once the door was closed, Itachi peeled the blood-crusted fabric of his shirt over his head. He switched out the fish net shirt with another, and changed his beige plants out for a pair of black ones after removing his belt. He glanced to the side, at the mirror residing in the room. The dark lines on his face seemed to stand out under his inner stress, and his onyx eyes seemed dead. His necklace, the one with the Ichihara's dog tag, dangled without making a sound.

Itachi touched the metal, wondering what Ichihara would think of him now. No doubt when he heard the news, Ihara-Ni would want his head. The Uchiha clan had been his only 'family' after the Kyuubi massacre, and while Ihara hadn't stayed for them, he still had told Itachi to protect his family.

Itahci slipped the cloak on over his body, sealing his clothes into a scroll he placed on his belt. He secured the cloak and walked out of the room, his hair still pulled into a ponytail. He looked upward at the shark-man, Kisame Hoshigaki Itachi believed his name was. Kisame nodded, giving him a grin. "Dog tags huh?"

Kisame shook his head, before turning and walking away. Itachi followed behind him with a mute sigh. It seemed that it was going to be quite a while before he got used to his partner.

I~~~~I

Itachi walked forward in front of the blonde Iwagakure Nuke Nin. Deidara was nothing special, even if he was able to create explodable clay charges. Itachi's Sharingan spun lazily as he let Deidara out of his Genjutsu. He tossed a ring at him, kanji marking the top of it. It landed in Deidara's palm, making to boy look up in shock. Itachi was around a year older than him he guessed, so it shouldn't have been surprising that he was able to beat the blonde. "You lost the battle. That means you lose the bargain."

I~~~~I

Cold streams of water fell down his head, neck and shoulders. His onyx eyes looked up into the sky, several Hunter-Nin bodies littering the area around him. Their blood was quickly washed away by the rain, sinking into the ground. A hand clasped on his shoulder, making him glance over.

Kisame had the curtesy to not grin even though he was covered in just as much blood as his partner. The shark-man loved fighting, and had tendency to enjoy the bloody messes that fighting caused. Now though, he merely handed Itachi his slightly torn cloak. The fabric was made with extra strength fabric and had thin slivers of chakra absorbent ninja wire inside of it for easier Chakra channeling. Itachi took it, nodding to his partner as a sign of thanks as he slid it on. He then began to gather and pile the bodies on top of one-another. After finishing, he flashed through hand signs. "Fire Style, Fireball Jutsu!"

I~~~~I

Itachi looked down at the little girl as she punched and kicked at the wooden post in front of her. The girl had three whisker-like birthmarks on her cheeks, and was glaring at the pole as though it had offended her. Her hands were slightly bruised, but healing very quickly. If she had been a normal child, her limbs would most likely have been broken or knocked out of place by now.

However, Naruko Uzumaki was no ordinary child by any means. In the Academy she remained aloof and pretended to be the class idiot. She fought with Itachi's foolish brother constantly, and let him win. Outside of the Academy though, when the ANBU left her alone for the rest of the day, she was completely different. She was dark, and constantly training. She was learning jutsu and cursing the village under her breath. She was someone very different when no one was watching, or at least when she thought no one was watching.

Today was no exception to that rule. She was going all out, twisting, snapping, spinning, twirling and slamming down her limbs onto the log to give it a thorough beating. She grunted as she slammed her thigh into the side of the log, before flipping over it and elbowing it. She followed the spinning momentum and punched the log hard enough to cause a chunk of wood to fly off. She didn't stop though, and continued to take out her anger on the log whilst muttering under her breath. "Damn disgrace of an Uchiha…Sashiko's name is being tarnished by that bastard."

Itahci perked up at the mention of the girl. Sashiko seemed to be Naru's number one concern, even though she was dead. Itachi revised his earlier thoughts. Naru was only herself when alone, or when she was visiting her elder sister's grave.

His demeanor softened slightly as Naru finally finished hitting the log. Half of it flew across the field as she landed her last hit, breathing heavily. "I'll kill him…" She growled, before sighing and reigning herself in. Her blue eyes relaxed a bit, allowing her sadness and loneliness to seep through. "You'd tell me to give him a chance, wouldn't you…"

She dropped down onto the grass tiredly, her back hitting the earth. Itachi felt shocked when he caught sight of the girl pressing her fingers around her throat. She didn't squeeze, simply holding her fingers there with a light pressure. Almost instantly her blue eyes darkened, turning red.

Naru stared into the sky, her Sharingan no longer spinning. It had one tomo only, but it was just as dangerous. Itachi's shoulder's twitched as a tiny sign of relief. Naruko had a habit of activating her gifted Sharingan eyes when she was being threatened, even by herself. She pressed her cool hand to her face and let out a harsh breath. "S-Sashi…"

I~~~~I

Itachi walked through the town silently, his onyx eyes scanning his surroundings. A low level Genjutsu concealed him from the civilians trying to get some shopping done. He was currently gathering information for the Akatski. He paused as he saw a little girl with light blonde hair fall. Her parents were quick to help her up and console her as she began to cry. He turned away from the scene, heading down another busy road.

The girl reminded him of Naruko, a girl riddled with vengeance and pain. He had watched the girl grow up since his first scouting mission back in Konoha when she was 7. She was about 12 now, and growing into quite the nuisance. She pranked the village constantly, training whenever she wasn't pranking or being scolded by her Sensei or the Hokage. Her pranks were normally nothing serious, however the way she managed to evade even ANBU when she was done was astounding. Of course, Iruka Umino, the miracle instructor was able to catch her off guard. Itachi guessed it was because the man had excellent chakra control and was actually a natural sensor. He was also the only one who gave the girl a benefit of the doubt.

He paused as he entered the restraint district, and took a moment to appreciate the fine cuisine, before heading back towards his target. In the middle of town rested an extravagant temple, with a castle beside it. In the castle reside the Feudal Lord of Grass Country. Itachi's mission was simple, he was to infiltrate the temple, and kill the Feudal Lord. It wasn't that much of a loss, considering the man was a despicable piece of shit. He would attack other smaller villages and make them pay hefty taxes, and if they couldn't afford it he'd take their land, children, wives, and crops. Having a fair number of ninja with him helped to reinforce his laws.

Itachi was actually doing Grass Country a favor to be honest. Itachi stopped a block away from the castle, looking upward. After this mission was over he'd be heading to Konoha to tell Sarutobi of his progress in tracking down the Leader of the Akatski and gathering information on the organization. He'd also check on Naruko, and of course his brother. For a moment, his lips tilted upwards, but it was gone as soon as it came, replaced with his emotionless mask. He vanished from his spot on the road, leaving no trace he was ever there.

I~~~~I

Grunt and huffs filled the air, the clashing of metal ringing in a Raven's ears. Itachi blocked another strike from the Sound Ninja in front of him, fueling a bit of chakra into his feet to give him a boost of speed. He sliced into the Nin's heart, pulling out his kunai to toss it into another Nin's skull. Three Kunoichi rushed at him, two hiding their faces behind face masks and the last letting her black hair free. Itahci kneed one in the chest and elbowed another, before capturing the last in a Genjutsu.

The woman fell to the ground screaming, and he slit her throat with ease, moving on to the next target. Kisame laughed behind him, swinging his large blade around. It bashed several Sound Nin and Kunoichi to bits, tearing their flesh and draining their chakra. Itachi's Sharingan spun lazily, catching several more enemies in its deadly but seductive grasp. Those Nin were quick to die as well.

He faintly heard a wind jutsu being launched at him, allowing him to turn in the direction of it. He flashed through hand signs faster than the human eye could see, calling out the technique. "Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The attack collided with the Wind Technique, growing as it barreled towards the group of Chunin and Jonin Sound Ninja. Their cries were heard for a moment more before the roaring blaze consumed their pleas.

Itachi sighed, ducking under another blow from behind. He had killed 20 Chunin and 6 Jonin so far, and he was beginning to tire of their games. There were about 7 Chunin left for him, and 3 Jonin. He had thought that Orochimaru had more respect for him than this, but he was wrong. Not even Orochimaru himself was able to kill Itachi, what could these fools do to him? Especially since he had Kisame to back him up. The Shark-man wasn't called the Tailless Jinchuuriki for shits and giggles after all.

A blast of water shot in front of his red eyes, the powerful spray ripping the two Chunin trying to attack him a good one.

Kisame walked beside Itachi, grinning to show his pointy white teeth. He was surprisingly clean, Itachi as well. The ground was littered with corpses and blood. The gore was enough to make a Chunin puke, and a Jonin uneasy.

The other Nin still left tried to stand their ground. They glared at the two Akatski members, knowing they were going to die by their hands. Itachi's Sharingan spun faster, morphing into his Mangekyo. The Nin were helpless as Itachi spoke their death sentence. "Tsukuyomi."

Kisame watched as the bodies burned up into ashes, the blood on the ground vanishing under another layer of earth. He turned to his partner, finding the teenager holding his eye, his other slightly glassed. They were black once again, or in his right's case, dark grey. He strapped Samehada to his back and walked towards the Uchiha. "Itachi, your eyes giving you hell?"

It was more of a statement than a question with the way Kisame said it, but Itachi answered anyways. "Just a little. It's to be expected. Come on, we need to get going."

Kisame smirked at the boy's rather stoic nature, used to the cold remarks. "Alright."

I~~ **7 Weeks After Wave Mission-Itachi** ~~I

The summer breeze blew over the heads of two Nin, one shorter than the other, who seemed to be a giant. The giant had a wrapped sword on his back, and both wore straw hats that covered their faces. Two bells hung from either side of the hats, jingling ominously. The nin wore black cloaks with red clouds on them, as well as Ninja sandals and a ring for each with Kanji engraved onto a colored stone. The taller glanced down at the smaller, a grin forming on his face. "Hey, Itachi, how does it feel to be going back?"

Itachi sighed gently at his partner, staring coolly at the road. "Nothing has changed…"

They both stopped, eyeing the forest expanding around them, encircling he bright red gate with the kanji for fire engraved onto it. Behind the gate rested several faces engraved into a rock face. "Konohagakure…I suppose it has been a while."

I~~ **7 Years After Kyuubi Attack-Jiraya** ~~I

Jiraya stared down at the letter in his hands, his eyes wide as he felt his chest contract. It nearly fell from his grasp, but his grip tightened as rage began to run through his veins.

The Toad Sannin's mind jumped to Ichihara, the man who would be the second most affected to this recent development. Jiraya quickly calmed himself when his messenger toad let out an eep, the room filled with killer intent. He read over the letter again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Seeing that the words remained unchanged, Jiraya closed his eyes. "Itachi Uchiha has murdered the entire Uchiha Clan except for his brother…"

I~~~~I

Jiraya ducked swiftly, his palms slamming together before another hit the ground before him. He skidded to a stop, his sandals having created a small path. Before him stood an Iwa Nuke Nin, his headband crossed out to show his allegiance to Iwagakure was dead. "Die, Old man!"

Jiraya's brow might have twitched, had he not been trained to conceal his emotions. Narrowing his eyes, he called out his technique as smoke filled the clearing. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A red toad popped into existence under his feet, lifting him up. He then flashed hand signs as the toad began to build up chakra. "You owe me for this Jiraya…"

The toad muttered the words before letting loose a torrent of fire at the Nuke Nin, Jiraya letting out a wind Jutsu after him. The combined Jutsu raged, consuming the Nuke Nin as he screamed.

I~~~~I

Jiraya let out an unmanly giggle, pulling the women on either side of him closer to his body. "Well hello there ladies…"

His sly tone made them giggle along with him, and he grinned from ear to ear. He had recently stumbled upon some more cash, and like always, he was eager to spend. No real man would be able to resist the beauty of a good tavern after all. The girls started to talk to him, and he nodded and replied with short sentences in order to pay attention to all of them, as well as keep his ears open for any new information. It was true, women could easily be the end of a man. He paused when he heard some whispers, and listened in as he laughed loudly. His chakra enhanced hearing picked up most of the conversation a man with brown hair was having with one of the girls in the tavern.

"Survior…Uchiha Massacre…Academy Student now."

Jiraya fed a bit more chakra to his ears as one of the girls went to get some more alcohol. The woman nodded, and her sharp gaze went around the room, skimping over Jiraya as he teased one of the girls. She turned back to the man, and poured more Sake into his glass. "Mhm, I heard. I've also heard that his class is full of Clan Heads."

Jiraya tensed slightly, excusing himself from the girls to do his business. He chuckled as they pouted and asked him to come back soon. He passed by them, his cheeks still a rosy red. "I also heard that some people are looking for some help, bloodlines and what not."

The woman held the glass out to the man, whom took it and downed it in one go. "Oh? I have a couple people in mind, I'm sure they'd want the work."

The bartender slipped the talker a scroll, which he promptly hid in his coat. "Thanks for the drink."

The man pulled from the bar as Jiraya entered the hall leading to the restroom. Instead of going to the toilet however, he vanished out a window, taking off after that man.

I~~~~I

A sickening crack echoed in the room, the foul smell of blood and other bodily fluids hanging in the air. Another snap echoed, followed by a cry. "Tell me who sent the assassins, and it'll stop."

There was nothing other than a vengeful stare directed at his head, causing Jiraya to sigh. He held no emotion on his face, a mask drawn over even his eyes. "I guess I'll break your fingers next."

The guy flinched at his uncaring tone, obviously knowing the older man would do it. Jiraya would do what he had to do, but he wouldn't enjoy it. When the guy did nothing, Jiraya moved forward and pulled one of the man's fingers, before pressing it backwards. Another grunt of pain sounded, before it turned to screams when Jiraya did the same to his other fingers. "Tell me who sent the assassins after Uzumaki Naruko!"

I~~~~I

A contented sigh left a man's lips as he swallowed his dango, sipping his tea afterwards. "I forgot how good it was to relax for even a minute."

Jiraya's white hair rested behind him as he sat down at a stool for a dango stand. The owner was in the kitchen part, happily conversing with another cook. Two other men ate at the stand, a child beside them. Jiraya could only raise a brow and smile when the kid tried to take his father's dango. His father only laughed and took half, letting the kid have it. The man's friend only chuckled at the sight, ruffling the kid's hair as he ate.

The scene reminded him of Michiko and her kids. She was definitely a fun mother, teaching her kids the best ways to bug their father. She and Iraku also taught Miko how to torture someone, something that the child used on his brothers constantly.

The Toad Sennin felt an ache in his chest as he remembered Sashiko, the little child who had died not too long ago. He had been pissed off at Sarutobi and the council for keeping her existence a secret from her only living relative, and had been heartbroken when he learned she had died after a bad night with the villagers. His thoughts drifted to the little girl Sashiko had left behind, and turned his gaze to the forests awaiting him. He was on the edge of the Land of Sand, and in a month's time, would be in Konoha due to his slow pace. "Naruko…I wonder how much you've grown."

I~~ **Two Weeks after the Wave Mission-Jiraya** ~~I

A soft smile spread of Jiraya's lips as he gazed fondly at the gates of Konoha, rising up before him as he walked down the path. "As beautiful as ever. Konoha is a sight to behold, even after all these years."

Jiraya chuckled softly, a little girl with red hair and blue eyes flashing in his mind. _'Naruko, no Akihane, I can't wait to see what a fine woman you've become. I hope you won't be too mad at me…For not being there.'_

 **Finally done. This chapter was pretty hard to write, well the Jiraya part anyways. It jumps around, but after the naming of dates it's basically a gradual progression from that time to the current, and then one little snip bit of the future. I rushed the ending of Jiraya's because I have been writing like one or two** ** _words_** **a day on it, for the past week or so, maybe a bit less than that. I was having such trouble wanting to write this chapter than I finished** ** _two_** **others. So now I don't have to worry too much about new chapters, but I still will probably only post 2 this month, maybe a bit more since it's thanksgiving soon. No promises however, I plan to bake a lot!**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **No Omake, because I just can't think.**

 **Preview**

 _Sarutobi sighed and closed his eyes as he blew out of his pipe, his thoughts echoing. He finally opened them, gazing at the council as he fought back a smirk. "Let me introduce you to the Konoha Treasury, my own personal guard under my direct command, filled with especially talented S-Rank ANBU with Flee on Sight orders." Moments later two tall men in Anbu uniforms appeared to either the left or right of the Hokage. Madara wore a pure black raven mask that complimented his raven hair, several seals written in only a shade lighter of ink trace onto the porcelain, designed to keep it from cracking easily. Tobirama wore a silver wolf mask that matched his white locks, a blade hoisted behind his back. Madara had chosen not to wear his fan, just so he didn't raise suspicions about another Uchiha being alive besides Sasuke, Ichihara, or Itachi. As the Council took in the information, several Shinobi confused, others angered, while most were simply surprised. Sarutobi withheld a snicker at the position the elders were in now. They couldn't say no to having several S-Rank shinobi guarding the most prominent figure in the village after all._


	9. IX Sibling Jinchuuriki

**Chapter Nine Already, dang. Took around four months, no? That's not so bad. Anyways this is the beginning of the Chunin Exams, and Naru's bonding with other people. Some characters may seem OOC in this chapter, but I try to make them seem themselves. Anyways thanks for the support and for reading!**

 **Disclaimer-I Do not own Naruto or any of its characters**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my friends, who can make me laugh like an idiot even when I feel like throwing up**

Naru felt annoyed. Her day was going horribly so far. It started with her waking up to her father, Minato, trying to get her to wear a dress, whilst burning her pancakes. After that she headed towards the Hokage Tower to deliver some breakfast and several scrolls to the Hokage, only to run into Iruka. After briefing him on the horrible Wave mission and dropping off what she had to, Naru realized she was late for her Team meeting. She argued with Sasuke for a bit, which gave her a headache, before nearly killing Kakashi when he _finally_ gave them their Chunin Exam forms, when the Exam started _tomorrow._ Now she was staring at three little runts following her around, one of which was the Hokage's grandson. He was also her self-proclaimed student.

"Brat, how many times do I have to say it…I am not your sensei! I would never teach a runt, let alone a brat."

The Jinchuuriki sneered down at him, glaring at him as he glared stubbornly back. "Come on Boss!"

Naru's eyebrow twitched as she remembered how she had met this stupid brat. She'd take the Crybaby Inari over Konohamaru Sarutobi any day. You see, Naru had met Konohamaru when the child was around 5 or so. She had been delivering some stuff to Asuma's for Sarutobi, when the Brat had tried to jump her. She had quickly retaliated by tying him to a tree. She promptly forgot about him, leaving him there for a few hours before his teacher found him and freed him. He proceeded to fail at stalking her for a week, and finally when she got too pissed off to do anything she started to use Shadow Clones to thwart the boy. She hadn't seen him for a while now, since her 10th birthday actually.

The Red haired girl scowled down at the brunette, only to get an even stare in return. The boy's two friends, or as Naru had deemed them, his followers, stared at her in the same manner, albeit not as much. "I said no, now scram."

Naru turned swiftly, her dark red hair rustling as the wind blew it forward. Her roots were now colored orange, and she had added black highlights. Kurama had even been nice enough to help her pick out a new outfit and help her craft/find her weapons. Minato had been a help as well, but Naru preferred the fox over that man any day. She stopped when the little kid ran in front of her, and stepped forward at an attempt to get in her face and be intimidating.

However, Konohamaru was around two feet smaller than Naru, so it didn't work. In fact it failed miserably. Her eyes narrowed and she felt a soft laugh in her head, faint but there. It was that bastard Kurai. She had contacted him with the help of Madara, and discovered that he was a manifestation of her ill will. He could still control her, sealed as he was, if her emotions got the better of her.

It was like Kurama, only worse. Kurama would attack based on instincts, Kurai would attack based on what he wanted.

Forcing a calming breath out of her mouth, Naru relaxed herself. "Konohamaru, leave me alone before I kick your ass all the way to Suna."

The little boy eeped, but stood his ground even as he shook. Naru had to admit, the kid had guts. He was still thickheaded and brash though, and would more than likely get himself killed. "N-No! I won't leave until you agree to train me!"

Naru looked back at the brat, and let out a soft, breezy, and utterly creepy laugh. "You asked for the beating you little brat."

The Uzumaki's fist raised of its own accord, and Konohamaru backed away, eyeing her fist. "I'll give you 10 seconds to run, if I don't find you then I'll let you live."

Naruko stepped forward once, and with a pleased grin, watched as Konohamaru ran down the road, and around the corner. She turned to his friends and smile darkly. "Are you just going to stand there? I meant you too."

They yelped and dashed after their friend. Naru sighed and moved to walk the other direction. She stopped when she heard a cry for help, her eyes snapping open. "That little Brat…I'll kill him!"

The red head turned, dashing down the street after the children. She rounded the corner, and was given a very, interesting sight. Konohamaru was at the end of the street, struggling in a boy's hand. He was a foot off the ground, and quite afraid.

The boy clutching Konohamaru was dressed in a black stealth suit with cat-like ears. He wore red war paint, and had a bundle wrapped in bandages on his back. Standing behind him was a girl with blonde hair in two long pigtails, her violet eyes glaring at the boy. She had a fan strapped to her back, and wore a fishnet bodysuit, with a beige skirt, white shirt, beige chopo-like(poncho?) jacket, and like her brother, black ninja sandals.

Naru's instincts took hold, and the Senbon flew from her hand before she was even noticed. The boy jerked back when the needle hit home.

Naru dashed, seemingly appearing out of thin air in front of Konohamaru. She pushed the boy back into the wall behind him, her hand holding a kunai to his clothed throat as he stared at her in shock. She wasn't wearing her contacts, so her sky blue eyes met his hazel ones. "I suggest you forget any, inconveniences the brat caused you. I can understand wanting to choke the life out of him, but he's the Hokage's Grandson, so it wouldn't be wise, especially for foreigners."

Azure eyes moved upward, to the metal plate on the forehead part of the boy's suit, the Sand Hourglass symbol engrave onto the silver finish. Naruko stepped backward, her Kunai vanishing into her scroll when she tapped it against the side. She looked back to Konohamaru and his friends, finding them cowering by her leg. "Run along brats."

They complied without a word, disappearing down the street. The girl stared at Naru with wide eyes for a moment, before turning to her brother and growling as she hit him upside the head. "You Baka, you nearly caused an International Incident!"

Naru resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the boy tried to defend himself.

"You did nothing to stop him, so it's your fault too, Temari."

Naru froze, ice cutting into her veins as the familiar tone of voice made an image of a red haired-blood covered teen wearing a red cloak entered her head. She looked up sharply to the side, finding another Sand nin standing on the branch. He was scowling at his supposed teammates, sand revolving around him lazily.

Naru's hand twitched as she took in the similarities to the person she had pictured in her head. The boy had Red hair, only less spiky, and he had green eyes. His skin was pale, with a red tattoo on his forehead of the Kanji for Love. He had black eyeliner all around his eyes, and wore a beige wrapping around his red yukata, each strip having black kanji written onto the seemingly dirty surface. A gourd made of sand was strapped to his back, practically yelling out that it was his weapon. While the boy wasn't covered in blood like Kurai often was in her mind, his sand reeked of the smell. The metallic scent sent her fox like instincts into autopilot.

The red head turned to her, his body suddenly dissipating into sand. He reappeared beside the boy, his sand swirling until he came into view.

Naru took an involuntary step forward. The step Naru took closer to the male startled both of his teammates, but not him. "Mother calls you a Fox."

Naru swallowed, hearing Kurama's voice push past Kurai's laughing. **"Bastard Raccoon…"**

The hatred in the Fox's voice surprised Naru. "Kurama calls you a Raccoon."

His teammates tensed as they registered what she was saying, before Naru held out her hand to Gaara.

His brow rose up, his demeanor surprisingly calm despite the killer intent he leaked. "Uzumaki Naruko Akihane, Kitsune."

He raised his hand, and clasped hers. She felt his sand brush past her skin, and resisted the urge to close her eyes. She could _feel_ the _sorrow_ in his sand, like the sorrow in her blood. "Subaku No Gaara, Tanuki."

Gaara paused, his eyes lowering to their hands. His sand had pressed into her palm enough to draw blood, but she didn't react. In fact, she welcomed his sand. It pressed into her palm, before he pulled his hand away and her wound closed. He continued to stare at his sand, freshly coated in blood, for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "These are my Siblings, Subaku No Temari and Subaku No Kankuro."

Subaku's siblings nodded stiffly at her in shock as they were introduced. She nodded mutely, glancing at them only briefly. "I apologize for the scene they caused. It will not happen again." Naru paused for a moment, to register the nearly invisible sand resting on her shoulder, before nodding. "I understand."

Gaara looked back to his siblings, his eyes hardening. "Leave, go straight to the Hotel."

The two didn't question him, taking off for fear of their lives.

Gaara turned back to Naru, whom let her tense shoulders relax some. "It was nice to meet you…Try going to the Hokage Monument if you have time, it's a good spot to watch the stars."

Naru spoke evenly, as though she were merely suggesting something innocent. Gaara nodded, his eyes darkening as he registered the double meaning, before he vanished in a swirl of his sand. Naru paused to touch the sand on her shoulder, rubbing it between her fingers. **_'The blood in his sand calls to you, doesn't it? You're Kekai Genkai has more to it than Blood Style, Kitsune.'_**

Naru froze at the bastard Kurai's voice, before he was silenced by Kurama. **'He is correct…but don't let it get to you Kit.'**

Naru let loose a tight breath, taking out the slip of paper she had gotten from Kakashi earlier that day. Sasuke and Sakura had gotten similar slips. "Guess I'll be entering after all…"

The Chunin Exams seemed like a distant dream from when she was 4 years old, watching the cherry trees with Sashiko as she proclaimed she'd be a ninja and protect Sashiko from harm. She turned and walked away, the sun hitting her eyes as she walked towards the forest. She'd need to hurry if she wanted to be home in time, Minato would be furious with her if she missed his dinner.

I~~~~I

Sarutobi sighed and closed his eyes as he blew out of his pipe, his thoughts echoing inside his head. He finally opened them, gazing at the council surrounding the table around them as he fought back a smirk. He had called a Council Meeting earlier and now that everyone was gathered, they were staring at him anxiously. It was obvious they were wondering why he had chosen to call this meeting. "Now that everyone has gathered, I would like to address that the Chunin Exams will officially begin tomorrow, and all foreign participants have arrived in Konoha. All of the Rookie Nine's Sensei's, and Team Gai's Sensei, have elected their teams for this year's competition."

A collective murmur broke into the crowd, as well as a bunch of prideful smiles, smirks, and even some grins form some of the clan heads, whose children had been elected. Clearing his throat, Sarutobi silenced the murmurs. "However, this is not the reason I called this meeting. I have been gathering Nin as of late, in order to create my own personal force."

The Sandaime let the information sink into their heads, chuckling softly behind his hand discretely as he lit his pipe. He then flared his chakra outward, speaking again. "Let me introduce you to the Konoha Treasury, my own personal faction under my command and only fine, filled with especially talented S-Rank ANBU with Flee on Sight orders each."

Moments later two tall men in Anbu uniforms appeared to either the left or right of the Hokage. Sarutobi let his chakra drop, knowing that the Uchiha to his right hated dramatics.

Uchiha Madara wore a pure black raven mask that complimented his raven hair, several seals written in only a shade lighter of ink trace onto the porcelain mask, designed to keep it from cracking easily.

Tobirama wore a silver wolf mask that matched his white locks, a blade hoisted behind his back.

Madara had chosen not to wear his fan, just so he didn't raise suspicions about another Uchiha being alive besides Sasuke, Ichihara, or Itachi.

Several Council Members were confused, others angered, while most were simply surprised. Sarutobi withheld a snicker at the position the elders of the Council were in now.

Danzo couldn't say no to having several S-Rank shinobi guarding the most prominent figure in the village, and neither could his former Teammates.

Sarutobi gestured to Madara. "There are more of course, but these two were the only ones… _available_ at the moment."

Madara felt like scoffing, due to the fact that Minato and Hashirama weren't with them because they were actually planning Naruto's party over being elected for the Chunin Exams, and for completing her first C Rank mission. He glanced to Tobirama, finding an exasperated aura emanating from the man. He was obviously thinking along the same lines as Madara at the moment, and for some reason it annoyed Madara.

Madara stood at attention however when Sarutobi addressed him. "Kage Karasu, Gin Okami, Emerarudo Kame, Kin Kitsune, and Seido Tora are the names of the current members. Their abilities are disclosed currently, and I would hope for it to remain that way."

Madara inwardly cursed the names given to them, wondering what the Old Geezer was thinking when he chose them. The Old Man was probably smoking a bit too much of his pipe that day.

I~~~~I

Naru shivered as the cool breeze blew across her skin, creating goosebumps even though she didn't feel cold. She wore her father's old coat, which was a bit too big, going to her ankles. Her hands were completely covered by the large sleeves, but she was warm. The coat's rim was folded backward, allowing her shoulders to be free while her arms and chest were covered.

The Jinchuuriki felt a soft scraping against her neck, and turned to watch as the sand gathered into a small pillar. It blew away, revealing Gaara. Killer intent filled the air along with the smell of blood, reminding Naru once again of Kurai's presence. Gaara eyed her cloak that she used as a coat, before turning to look out at the village. "Mother doesn't want you dead…It's odd."

Naru had talked with Kurama, and they had figured out that Shukaku, the Bastard Tanuki as Kurama kept calling him, was referred to by Gaara as Mother. "It's probably because of Kurama. Even with his hatred over him, Shukaku, or Mother as you call him, knows not to mess with the Kyuubi."

Gaara walked towards her, stopping only when he was a foot away. "I could feel it when I touched your blood. I could feel your sadness…"

The fellow red head glanced down, his face contorting as he struggled to sort through his emotions. Naruko guessed that unlike her, he had never really dealt with anything but Bloodlust. "I could feel your loneliness in your sand, your sadness too."

Naru stared at him, realizing for a moment that he was slightly taller than her, albeit by an inch or two. He spoke, his voice grating as he struggled to control his madness. "Mother…M-Mother says you put your emotions into your chakra…L-Like me."

Naru flinched, even though she knew that Gaara hadn't meant to jab at her less than horrible chakra control. Sure, she had gotten the leaf, tree walking, and water walking exercises down, but due to her massive reserves it hardly mattered. She had to keep working on her control since her chakra was constantly growing, her reserves getting larger by the day. "Yes…"

Naruko stepped forward so she was nearly touching Gaara, and stared into his green eyes. He flinched this time, the side of his face tilting up into a sneer as he struggle dot not lash out. "It's because we are Jinchuuriki, sacrificial lambs sent to the slaughter without our consent."

Gaara's sneer lessened as he went over the information, taking a cautious step backward. "J-Jinchuuriki…"

Subaku's deep voice sounded confused for a moment, making Naru's fists clench. This child, tormented by the sadness like she was, didn't even know _why_ he was alone. Taking a deep breath, she reached forward and touched his shoulder, her blue eyes hardening as she pressed her other hand to his stomach. She forced chakra into him, watching as he looked at her in shock. She brushed it off as him not having been touched willingly before.

She was surprised when a layer of sand peeled away from the areas she touched, allowing her to touch his actually clothes. **'The Cub must have made a shield of sand around his body as a precaution. The fact that he is subconsciously allowing you through means he trusts you…'**

Naru was surprised at the insight, but accepted it none the less. She could feel the buildup of power from the seal, and as Gaara touched her arm, she figured he did too. "H-How did you k-know?"

The Uzumaki pulled away, a blush threatening to spring on her cheeks from the close contact. She wasn't used to being near someone like this, let alone a stranger. Normally she could brush it off with her cold side, but the fact that this boy _understood her_ , actually understood her, was messing with her head. She could feel all his emotions through the chakra in his sand, and he could feel all of hers through the chakra in her blood as it flowed through her. She took his hand, and pressed it to her stomach. She felt the foreign chakra, wincing as it mixed with her own. He gazed at her eyes, unblinkingly, before he pulled away. "Because I am the same…"

Before he could speak, Naru was pulled away. A figure stood between her and Gaara, his yellow hair hidden before a mask. The gold paint on the mask shined against the moon light, reflecting it. "You are nothing like him, Naruko. You do not bask in the blood of others."

Naru's eyes widened, Minato turning his head to her, his blue eyes staring into her own. They held no joking light, they were hard and not soft like she was used to. However, she gathered herself, dashing so she stood in front of Gaara. His eyes had hardened at her Father's appearance, and she could feel his bloodlust threatening to escape. She guessed the only reason he was still holding on to what little sanity he had was because of her. "I am still more like him than anyone else in this damn hellhole!"

The daughter hissed out angrily to her father, her instincts demanding she protect her fellow Jinchuuriki. She forgot all the tenderness and the care that Minato had showed her, her eyes morphing to slits. Kurama let out a soft warning growl in her head, but Naru paid no mind to him, or the bored Kurai, who had the audacity to ask for popcorn. Minato turned back to them both, and his killer intent leaked out, pressing against the combined force of her own and Gaara's. "Naru, I have no idea what you were thinking. If the Council found out that you met with a Sand Nin, you'd be tried for Treason!"

Naru grit her teeth, her reasonable side trying to fight her instincts. "Stop talking down to me!"

The Uzumaki stepped forward defiantly, Gaara stepping beside her. He spoke, his sand gathering around the two dangerously. "Mother…wants your blood…"

Minato narrowed his eyes on the boy, wondering what the hell his daughter was thinking. However, when his daughter's eyes suddenly returned to normal, and her attention focused on the boy before him, he figured out the answer. "Gaara, ignore Shukaku, I'll deal with this guy…"

The child before him was a Jinchuuriki, and unstable one at that. The boy's eyes never left Minato's, but he did shift towards Naru, his sand slowing down to a lazy pace. "L-Look. It might be best if you leave. I'll see you at the Exam's tomorrow, alright? I'll tell you about Jinchuuriki too…"

Gaara finally tore his gaze away from Minato's, and onto the little Red-Head beside him. "F-Fine..."

Subaku's rough voice sounded strained as his sand gathered around him, before he and the sand vanished. His daughter finally turned to him, and he felt his chest tighten as she glared darkly at him. He could practically see the walls she had allowed to crumble for him rebuilding, blocking him out as her trust for him started to vanish.

Minato held his own glare at her though, knowing he had to be forceful with this matter. Jinchuuriki or not, the child was unstable and from another village. He was doing this to protect her he had to remind himself. Still, was he really protecting her, or making up an excuse for her to not have time with a another person like herself, someone who she could eventually take off with thinking it was for the best, and if it wasn't, or even if it was, he pondered whether any of it was worth losing the trust she had placed in him.

As Naru stalked towards him, standing beside him without removing her emotionless mask, Minato realized that he didn't know. He didn't know if destroying a possible friendship that could bring harm to the leaf was worth losing his daughter's very rarely placed trust. He laid a hand on her shoulder, palm out, and used the Hirashin to appear in the house. She brushed his hand away when they appeared, walking away from him without a word. "He's unstable and not part of this village Naruko."

Naru froze in the hallway, and without turning around replied to Minato in an icy tone. "But he's the only one whose ever even come close to _feeling_ my pain. I just want you to know that doing this, trying to force me to bend to your will, has shown me the truth. It's reminded me why I hate the village, why I only ever trusted Sashiko."

His daughter laughed bitterly and turned back to face him, her Sharingan activated. The three Tomos burned into his own glassed blue. "No one understands but those who feel your pain. She felt my pain…you caused it."

Once more Naru turned and vanished into her room, the Shogi door closing behind her. Minato closed his eyes, and took in a sharp breath. For the first time since Naruko brought him back, he felt like he was dead again. He had caused this when he had chosen the village over his own family, over his Wife's wishes. At the thought of Kushina, he felt a tear slip. She would hate him for what he had done too, wouldn't she?

I~~~~I

Tobirama easily blocked one of Naru's punches, catching her kick and tossing her over his shoulder. The girl was unfocused and pissed off, placing her rage in front of her thoughts. He allowed her to vent on him though, and didn't hold back. He knew she didn't need special treatment right now. No, Naruko needed to pound something that fought back for once. He kicked her in her ribs, taking no satisfaction as she was sent tumbling across the arena flooring.

They were inside of Minato's hidden training arena, training before Naru left to the Chunin Exams. They had been up since 5 in the morning, Naru's rage continuing to boil even after 3 hours. Tobirama glanced to the side were Minato stood, his face a mask of indifference. It was strange to see the man not goofing around or trying to earn Naru's trust with silly suggestions a favors. However, Tobirama could guess why the man had suddenly gone hard. Naru's recent activity hadn't exactly benefited the village. Her consorting with a Sand Nin didn't help the situation either.

Blocking another punch, Tobirama decided that he would at least try to keep the kid from hating _all_ of them. "We don't have a lot of time, so let's just move onto Ninjutsu. Try using the Blood Style Techniques you learned."

Naru flipped back, nodding to him before landing gracefully. She shifted her stance, and he readied himself for whatever came next.

 **Phew, so there's that chapter…Okay so I'm not too sure about this chapter, but I was dreaming about the story (weird right?) and the whole Gaara scene happened, so after changing and tweaking so things I figured, what the hell, and put it in. The distancing of her and Minato will bring Gaara and her, as well as Madara and Kakashi closer to her, while also making Naru question herself and everyone around her. Gaara right now is forcing himself to remain controlled around Naru because he wants to know how she deals with her emotions, and why she isn't like him, even though she is almost the same as him. Shukaku right now doesn't want to attack Naru because her and Kurama are on good terms, and he can sense that. This is where Minato will be slightly OOC, same with the other Kage, due to the whole emotional turmoil. Well thanks for reading and have a good day!**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **No Omake today, sorry but I can't seem to think of one!**

 **Preview**

 _Naru took out her seals, smiling extra sweetly at Kiba. "Care to repeat your words dog shit? Or can I just silence you now? I'm sure I'd be giving Shino and Hinata a gift if I did, after all you never shut you stupid shithole of a mouth." Kiba's eyes widened and Sakura began to sweat as Sasuke shivered. Kabuto seemed shocked at the girl's foul tongue, whilst Shikimaru and Shino were paying extra attention to the red head. Before anyone could say more, or in Naru's case shut someone up in a very_ unpleasant _manner, smoke appeared at the front of the room. "Alright, listen up Maggots, because I don't want to repeat myself! I'm Morino Ibiki, Head of TI and this year's First Exam Proctor!"_


	10. X First Exam

**Well here's chapter 10, finished, completed, over with… I can't believe I actually got to Chapter 10, let alone while keeping to my update schedule. This chapter is short, about 3'400 words, but I felt like ending it there. Thanks for the favorites and follows! Please enjoy reading ^^**

 **Disclaimer-I wish I owned Itac-I mean Naruto**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my awesome teachers and their ability to make any day good (Nanananana Fatman!)**

The cool air blew by, rustling Naru's red hair as she stood outside the Academy. Sasuke stood to her left, and Sakura to her right. They had just grouped up, with only a few more minutes until the registrations ended. Sighing, Naru entered the building, walking up a flight of stairs. Her teammates followed behind her, Sakura seeming more confident than before. Sasuke seemed neutral, while also casting her weird glances. They paused at the second flight, staring at the group of students surrounding a door marked as 301. Naru didn't say anything, continuing to walk up the stairs. Sasuke blinked in confusion, before smirking. "Idiots." Sakura sighed softly, frowning. "Can't they see it's a Genjutsu…?"

Naru glanced back at them form one of the landings. "Less competition. Weeds out the weak ones after all."

Silence drifted, a boy suddenly getting pushed out of the crowd of people. He turned to her, followed by two other children. One was a girl with brown hair placed into buns, a scroll on her back, and several others strapped to her waist. Her headband was wrapped around the underside of her buns, framed by her short bangs. One of the boys, the one that got shoved out, looked at Naru with wide eyes. However, due to his unblinking and unchanging gaze, Naru guessed that the saucers for eyes were his real ones.

The boy had black hair in a true bowl-cut, and wore a green spandex onesie, a red sash tied around his waist displaying his plaque with the Konoha symbol. His hands and legs were bound by bandages, and he wore orange weights on his forearms and lower legs. The last boy had long brown hair pulled back behind his head into a low tail. Two strands of hair framed his face, falling over his headband that displayed the leaf symbol. He wore a beige jacket with three straps sealing the front, each an inch thick, as well as dark brown-almost black shorts with the right side bandaged. His hands were also bandaged, but not nearly as much as his teammate. He like his female teammate wore black ninja sandals, while the other male wore orange ones.

The green abomination with caterpillar eyebrows suddenly pointed at Naru, making her fingers twitch. Whenever any of the villagers had pointed at her, it was to mock her. "You, your name is Uzumaki Naruko, correct?"

The Genin's loud voice surprisingly didn't draw the other kids attention, so Naru guessed that the Genjutsu was blocking out those that did figure it out. Sighing, Naru stepped down from the steps, coming to stand beside her teammates. "Yes, I am Uzumaki Naruko."

The boy grinned at her suddenly, showing off blindingly white teeth. Team Seven cringed, Sakura looking about ready to throw up as waves crashed behind the boy. **'What the hell type of monstrosity of a Genjutsu is this?!'**

Naru nearly choked as Kurama screamed about his eyes. **_'I cannot unsee that injustice…'_**

"My name is Rock Lee. I want you to be my girlfriend, I promise to protect you with my life!"

Naru's eye twitched, and she nearly activated her Sharingan just to be rid of this menace. "No."

The red head's voice edged on icy, and she turned sharply, dragging Sakura and Sasuke behind her, both still in a state of shock. Lee collapsed to his knees behind her, shivering as a purple aura clouded his head. "So cold…"

Naru was just about to round the platform to another set of stairs when the boy with pupiless eyes in the beige jacket called to Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

Sasuke halted Naru's movements, snapping her from the horrifying nightmare that was Lee's 'Genjutsu'. "It's not polite to ask for another person's name without saying your own."

The Uchiha's arrogance leaked into his tone, followed by a smug smirk. Naruko felt her fingers twitch, while Sakura had to hold back a small squeal at how cool Sasuke was being. However, she was a lot more relaxed and controlled than before, surprising Naruko.

The boy spoke again though, ruining Naru's pleasant mood once more. "Hyuuga Neji, Rookie of the Year."

The little redhead felt her hatred for yet _another_ prodigy begin to grow. "Uchiha Sasuke, Rookie of the Year."

Naru scoffed, earning her a glare from her teammate. "Some title that is. It should be changed to 'Bastard with the Longest Pole up the Ass'."

The Uzumaki's crude language made Lee and Neji stare in shock, and Tenten and Sakura laugh. Naru turned on her heal, deciding she wouldn't wait anymore for her team or the weird team to make introductions. Sakura yelped and sped up after her after waving and muttering a 'gomen' to them. Sasuke soon followed, glaring at Naru's back as he stalked up to her. "What the hell Dobe?!"

Naruko ignored her teammate again, her eyes narrowed on the figure standing in front of the actual Room 301. "Kakashi-Sensei."

I~~~~I

Gaara felt her agitated chakra before her saw her. The redhead entered the Exam room, and he felt something akin to relief. He didn't show his emotion though, instead just focusing his attention on the girl. She was pissed off, that much was easy to see. She was glaring at a boy behind her with raven hair, resembling a duck butt. He had an air of arrogance, one that brought the females to pay attention to him.

Naruko however, ignored him as much as she could, her eyes darkening to a purplish hue. He knew enough from Mother to know that her eyes changing color was a bad sign. Mother had growled out something along the lines of 'blasted red eyes', but hadn't elaborated. Gaara only guessed that Mother meant Naru's own demon, the Kyuubi. He paused when he noticed several other teams surround the object of his interest, and scowled. To his siblings and everyone else who dared look over however, it looked like a murderous sneer.

Naru stared at the other teams surrounding them, scowling at Ino as she hung off Sasuke, Sakura trying to ignore her. Naru caught the gaze of Shikimaru, and the boy narrowed his eyes as she glared at him. "Want something, Nara?"

The annoyed Jinchuuriki hissed it out, her mood starting to build tension. From behind the boy came Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. Shino spared a nod to her, and she relaxed some. Her agitation spiked however when Kiba whistled loudly beside his teammates, his dog Akimaru watching the scene play out from on top of his head. "Woah Uzumaki, what did you do to your hair!"

Akimaru yipped in agreement, Sakura and Sasuke freezing. Naru's fingers twitched and she ground her teeth together, her eyes snapping to the boy's. Before she could say anything, or do anything for that matter, a boy with silver hair pulled into a ponytail strode over. He wore glasses and a standard black uniform. Naru's head snapped to him as Kurama growled inside her head, banging against his cage. **'Snake!'**

The boy wreaked of the wretched reptile. Naru could accept most snakes, however she didn't trust or like them. She'd keep an eye on this boy.

"You might want to settle down, you are drawing a lot of attention to yourselves."

Kiba only smirked at the boy, noticing the amount of dangerous looks sent their ways. "I could kick all their asses!"

Naru's eye twitched this time, her fingers resting on her scroll. She was so close to shutting the mutt up for good. Kabuto laughed lightly, though the sound was sickingly fake in Naru's ears. "I'd be careful. These Exams are really hard. Actually, this is my Seventh time."

Naru paused to survey the boy, and immediately grew more suspicious. **_'Bullshit. This guy is on guard as we speak, and he has several tools littered on his person that aren't exactly easy to use. Not to mention he walks like he's forcing himself to not be graceful.'_**

Naru had to agree with Kurai, even if it left an acidic taste in her mouth. "Wow, you must be really weak."

Kabuto waved his hands in front of him, a gesture of childishness to force them into security. "Well, I wouldn't say that. I did manage to gather a lot of information from being in the Exams after all."

Naru eyed him critically, before stepping forward. "Do you have anything on Sand team?"

Kabuto paused and stared at her in shock, before he nodded. "Yup. They are really good, especially that red head."

The Silver hairednNinja took out a stack of blank cards. "These cards only react to my chakra, so they are useless to anyone else."

Naru wanted to retaliate that as long as someone could _match_ his signature, they wouldn't need him, but stayed silent. **(I don't want to find out the missions so I'll just skip them.)** "Alright, the girl Subaku No Temari is a wind type and wields her giant metal fan. She also has a summoning contract with weasels. The older brother, Subaku No Kankuro is a puppet master, not much else there. The youngest, the one with red hair is Subaku No Gaara and he uses Sand as his weapon. All of them are children of the Third Kazekage. Along with this, their Teammate Gaara has managed to come back from every mission without a scratch on him…"

Naruko wasn't surprised, after all his sand shield did help keep him protected, acting as another skin. Sasuke glanced to his team mate, before asking Kabuto for information of his own.

"What about Rock Lee and Naruko Uzumaki?"

Naru scowled at him, and he merely returned the look with a blank one. Sakura bit her lip in worry for her teammates, only for Kabuto to break the tension with a cough. "Alright, Rock Lee, Teammates are Neji Hyuuga and Tenten. Their Sensei is the Green Beast of Konoha, Gai. He is known for his excellent Taijutsu, but has no skill in the Ninjutsu areas. He is also very good at Bukijutsu. He is an orphan."

Kabuto then moved on to his next card, glancing up to Naru when the profile appeared. She knew why. The picture was taken when she still had blond hair, and when it was longer. "Uzumaki Akihane Naruko, Teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Their Sensei is Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan…"

The ninja gave them all a once over. "Your Sensei is Hatake Kakashi?"

They all nodded, albeit Naru did it reluctantly. "Wow…Anyways Uzumaki Naruko is supposedly the Dead Last, but on her first C Rank mission, turned A Rank, she showed talent in Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu, and Fuinjutsu. Her Chakra reserves are said to be massive, and her parents are unknown. Her only other ties are the Oreshizoku Clan."

There was a stunned silence, before Kiba chose to open his fat mouth. "N-No way, the Deadlast can't possibly be that good! She's just a _girl_ , with _tomato hair_!"

Something snapped, and Naru took out her seals with a swift swipe of her hand over her scroll, smiling extra sweetly at Kiba as her Kurama chuckled and called for blood. "Care to repeat your words dog shit? Or can I just silence you now? I'm sure I'd be giving Shino and Hinata a gift if I did, after all you never shut you stupid shithole of a mouth."

Kiba's eyes widened and Sakura began to sweat as Sasuke shivered. They both had seen what had happened to Sasuke when he had compared her hair to a tomato, and it wasn't pretty. The seals were only the beginning of the torment. The other occupants didn't know what to think, having never seen Naru when she was her real self. Kabuto seemed shocked at the girl's foul tongue, whilst Shikimaru and Shino were paying extra attention to the red head. Team 9 and Team 8 were dumbstruck, and the rest of Team 10 were trying to figure out what was going on.

Before anyone could say more, or in Naru's case shut someone up in a very unpleasant manner, smoke appeared at the front of the room. "Alright, listen up Maggots, because I don't want to repeat myself! I'm Morino Ibiki, Head of TI and this year's First Exam Proctor!"

I~~~~I

After getting settled into their assigned seats, Naruko gave the Proctor a once over. He had a bandana around his head instead of a headband, the leaf symbol proudly engraved there. Along with this came his dark trench coat, standard black shinobi uniform, and the numerous gray weapons pouches on his form. He had dark tan skin, with a scar running across his face diagonally. Several Chunin stood by his sides, and two Jonin stood at the far front corners of the room. She felt a small snicker exit her lips, twirling a Senbon in his fingers. "At least I won't be bored. And I don't have to worry about casualties…"

Naruko set her hand by her scroll, the senbon being sealed inside as the Proctor spoke up.

"Alright Maggots, now that you are all seated I'll explain the First Exam. I don't like repeating myself so listen closely!"

Ibiki turned and picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing as he spoke. "In a moment the my Chunin officers will pass out tests. There are ten questions in total. Each question is worth ten points each. Your personal score will be tallied by your teams, for a total of 300. Only 200 points are needed to pass, but if even one person gets a 0 in your group, you'll be disqualified. If the exam proctors catch you cheating three times, you're out of here!"

The Chunin instructors began to pass out tests, Naru narrowing her eyes on Ibiki. Normally with tests they would disqualify you automatically when they caught you cheating, so why give you three chances? It was simple, she knew that much. _'They want us to cheat.'_

A harsh chuckle echoed in the Uzumaki's head. **_'Yup. Now you just have to choose whether to 'cheat' or used your own knowledge, or use our help.'_**

Naru scowled and looked down at her paper as it was passed to her. She stared at the blank back and snickered softly. 'Shut up Kurai.'

"Alright, you may begin!"

Papers flipped over all around the room, followed by a large number of scratching pencils. Naru ignored everything, clearing her head as she gazed at the answers. She discretely plucked a seal from her scroll and placed it on her thigh. A flood of information entered her head, her surroundings becoming more pronounced as Kurama's chakra mixed with her blood. She bit the back of her pencil, and as it chipped, swept her gaze downward. She caught sight of a Genin scribbling down answers faster than normal. She then fed a bit more chakra into her eyes, her blue contacts causing a minor irritation for a moment, before it was healed. Now she gazed at the Genin disguised Chunin, her Sharingan measuring his chakra levels. _'Yup, Chunin. Which means…'_

Naru's eyes scanned down his paper before going to her pencil, a swift glanced that seemed innocent. She then sighed and began writing, acting as though she was annoyed with the test. Too be honest she was actually feeling better after her bad day yesterday. She could hear the thrum of her teammate's hearts, and she could feel the chakra hovering in the room. Along with this, she felt a grainy chakra brush against her dark red chakra. She nearly shivered but held it back as Gaara's sand drifted by her arms, before resting on her wrist.

Gaara could feel Naru's chakra pushing on his own, and he could feel the presence of her blood under the skin of her wrist. He sent a bit more sand, enough to cover the inside of her gloved hand. Her fingers continued to move, creating letters. His hand followed the movements, writing down the answers word for word. He was going to sue Shukaku's eye at first, but when he felt the soft spike in Naru's chakra and the metallic scent filled his head, he decided to try something else. He had done this with several people as a way of torture, and control, but he could also do it the opposite way. She basically had control over his fingers. Whatever her fingers wrote, his would write as well.

The tapping of pencil's on the desks continued, Ibiki surveying the contestants. "Team 1 from Rain, you're out!"

The first team yelped as they were tossed out of the room. Next went a grass team, followed by another rain. Teams continued to be eliminated from the Exam, Ibiki's grin growing. He took a sadistic pleasure in watching the other teams flinch when a certain number or village was called. His gaze rested on a red headed girl though, and he felt his eyes narrow. He could feel a slight rise in chakra, before it vanished. As it did, she sighed and began to write down the answers, her eyes holding forced boredom. He glanced down at the files in his hands, and scanned through them until he found her picture. _'Uzumaki Akihane Naruko, Rookie Genin, Nine Tails Jinchuuriki.'_

Ibiki glanced back up at the girl as he read on. _'She supposedly the deadlast, brash, loud, and obnoxious. However, where is all that now? She's calm as can be, hardly even twitching when a team is called for disqualification.'_

The Proctor spotted a slight rise of chakra at her hand, and his eye narrowed as he saw sand slip under her glove. She seemed not to mind, instead letting her lips twitch upwards at the corners.

His gaze moved to the Sand boy who was expelling the chakra, and watching as his hand moved in the exact same way as Naur, felt his surprised grow. Uzumaki was helping out a Sand Nin, or pretending not to notice his chakra. Ibiki feared it was the former, and glanced to the Jonin in one corner. The test was almost over, but this was still worrisome. The Jonin nodded, and vanished in a simple Shuinshin.

"Listen up Maggots! By now you must have realized that there is a question missing from the tests. The tenth question will be asked now, but only after I tell you the other rules."

Smirking, the Head of the TI department looked at everyone in the room. "If you fail to answer the tenth question correctly, you'll be unable to participate in the Chunin exams ever again!"

Murmurs broke out, and Ibiki glanced to Naru. He was surprised to find her trying to fall asleep. "You can drop out now though, and try again later. However, whoever drops out fails their team as well!"

The room broke into an uproar of disagreement, to which Ibiki only replied with, "Those other kids were lucky, they didn't have _me_ for a Proctor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, hands started raising and apologies were given out. Teams left in groups out of the room, leaving only a few left, 12 maybe. He glanced to the side, seeing that some of the newest kids, the rookies, were looking ready to raise their hands. "Come on now, don't be shy!"

Ibiki was about to talk some more smack, only for a bored voice, light but harsh sounding, to ring through the room. "Who gives a shit if we can't take these Exams? We'll just have to work harder to get a field promotion, or I know, not give a shit. Hell, I could even torture the answer out of you, you gave no rules about harming the Proctors or assistants for the answers after all you simply said no cheating."

He looked at Uzumaki Naruko, several people staring at her in annoyance, others in respect, and some in utter bafflement. "We are ninja, if ranks mean everything to you then you don't belong here. A Genin can take down a Jonin if trained right, a title means nothing to those who know their strengths and weaknesses."

Ibiki chuckled as her two teammates, the Haruno girl and Uchiha brat, agreed with her. "Do you all agree with this little spitfire?"

When no more teams raised their hands, he smirked. "You all Pass!"

 **And done. Thank you for reading this chapter, I enjoyed writing it, whilst trying not to eat any more Baked Macaroni….too good. Well this is the end of the First Exam, and on to the Second. The Second Exam will take up all of next chapter, and part of the twelfth. The Preliminaries will be after that, and if you have any suggestions for match ups I'll take them now. Jiraya will also make an appearance in 2 or 3 chapters. Next chapter has Orchi-Teme!**

 **(6-7-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Well thanks for reading!**

 **Omake-** _Kurai meets Chibi Naruko-Part I_

 _Darkness surrounded the little girl with short spiky red hair and blue eyes._

 _She looked around, shivering as she pouted at the barren landscape._

 _"S-sashi?"_

 _A cackle answered her, a voice sounding behind her._

 ** _"Welcome little Kitsune."_**

 _Naruko turned, facing a boy with red hair and red eyes._

 _"Who are you, a friend?!"_

 _The boy froze in his spot, those giant blue eyes capturing him as the little girl's eyes widened._

 _"Are you Kurama's friend?! I met Kurmaa's friend! Will you help me play a prank on him?!"_

 _The puppy dog eyes Jutsu was activated, forcing Kurai to his knees as he bowed to the adorable girl._

 ** _"S-So cute…d-dammit…I'm not evil enough to resist!"_**

 _Minato could only sweat drop when he heard his daughter squeal in the middle of the night about 'Pranks' and 'The food of the gods', followed by 'Kurai-Kun!'_

 _The last word made his body go numb as his mind went into over-protective father mode, fire raging in his eyes._

 _"NO BOY CAN TOUCH MY NARU-CHAN!"_

 **Preview**

 _After Team Seven finished signing their contracts, as well as the rest of the Genin, Anko had told them what the Exam was. They were supplied with one scroll, either marked Heaven or Earth, and had to get the opposite of what they got. They then had to make their way through the forest to the tower in the middle. The catch however, was that they had to make it to the tower within three days with both scrolls, or they'd fail automatically. As Team Seven went up to the stall where they'd be given their scroll, hidden from the other teams of course, they decided that Naruko would take the scroll since she could simply hide it in one of the storage scrolls. They exited their booth, a Chunin Leaf Ninja leading them away from it to their assigned gate, Gate 11._


	11. XI Second Exam

**Hello Naruto Fans! Can't believe I've made it this far with this story already. It's kind of crazy, considering that the last story that I made that got this far only had around one or two reviews…Anyways thanks to those who have review and helped me with ideas, including , who gave me the base for this chapter. Orochimaru will appear, as will a new OC that is very important for the plot. This is the main part where Canon starts to become an afterthought and the Oreshizoku Clans and the bloodlines become the focus. Thanks for reading my rambling and my story!**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Pandora, the best source of inspiration I could ever find next to family.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, but I do own , The Oreshizoku clans, and Kurai Hafu.**

As the roar of the pissed off Genin died down, Naru felt a spike of chakra from behind Ibiki. Seconds later, a woman with purple spiked hair in a ponytail kicked through the wall, confetti pouring out from the ceiling as a congratulations banner fell behind her. She wore a beige coat over a gray fishnet top, as well as beige shorts, her Leaf head band tied around her head with a black cloth. "Listen up Brats, my name is Anko Mitarashi, I'm the Second Exam Proctor!"

I~~~~l

Naru closed her eyes as she walked with Sasuke and Sakura to training ground 44, The Forest of Death. Anko Mitarashi had given them 10 minutes to get to the training grounds, so Naruko chose to take it slow. She knew where the forest was because Hashirama had showed it to her when they started training. It was one of the few training grounds where she could actually let out her frustrations without being spotted. The only other place she could train was near the Namikaze Compound, due to the many seals that littered the grounds. Not even Danzo could get past Minato and Kushina's barriers.

Naruko paused as she felt sand brush against her shoulder, her eyes snapping open. She turned, Sasuke and Sakura continuing without a pause. They noticed she wasn't moving however, and turned to look back. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Gaara behind Naruko. "Gaara."

A small smile crept up Naruko's lips, a bittersweet one with a hidden meaning.

Gaara paused, his teammates landing behind him, flinching as Naruko's smile turned to a scowl, her eyes darkening on them. The male redhead spoke, his unnaturally deep voice cutting through the tension. "Do you know where Training Ground 44 is?"

Naruko smiled at him again, though this one was guarded. "Yup. You can follow me there if you want."

Gaara nodded, his teammates sharing a glance as he walked beside Naruko. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he watched Naru side with _another village_. "Dobe, they are the enemy!"

Naru sharply turned to Sasuke, and glared. "Shut up Bastard, before I shove an explosive seal up your ass!"

Sakura backed away a bit as she sweated slightly while Sasuke stalks over to Naruko. "As if you could, hurry up!"

Sakura wondered vaguely how Sasuke forgot that Naruko could kick both their asses.

Naruko gave no warning, instead she swung her fist around, slamming it into Sasuke's face. His hand was raised, as though to block. He hadn't seen the hit fast enough to block it correctly, and neither had Sakura. Kankuro and Temari were staring at her in shock as she turned around, walking away from her teammate on the ground. Sakura rushed to Sasuke, worried and slightly peeved at Naruko.

Gaara merely casted a glance over his fellow Jinchuuriki's teammates, before following as though he could care less. Gaara's siblings knew it was the ladder. Gaara strode beside Naruko, slightly taller than her. He had longer legs, making it easier to keep stride with the girl. She paused to glance toward a training ground, before shaking her head and entering the forest.

I~~~~l

Naruko and Gaara arrived at Training Ground 44 with their teams, only two other teams already there. They were Team Gai and a Team from Grass Country.

Sasuke glared darkly at Naruko, Sakura frowning behind the two. Due to his attention toward Naruko however, Sasuke missed the Grass Nin eyeing him and licking his lips with a shiver.

Naruko paused as she caught an off scent, but couldn't pinpoint it. She was about to add Kurama's chakra when other teams started to arrive. Along with them was Anko Mitarashi, whom took her place in front of the numerous Genin. Naruko guessed that Anko was chosen for the Proctor task because Konoha wanted to scared the other villages with her slightly insane tendencies. The flashing of beautiful women might also have been a goal, but Naru doubted it. The First proctor scared the living shit out of half the teams, and now Anko was supposed to conclude that task. This system simply made Naruko wonder who was next on the list of crazy Tokubetsu Jonins.

A laugh cut the red head from her musings, directing her attention to the women of her thoughts. Anko was currently telling everyone about The Forest of Death, scaring some other Genin, and interesting the rest. Naru was among those interested in the forest. She knew a lot about it already, sure, but she wanted to know why it was chosen. Other than the dangerous animals, sealed areas, and the overall life expectancy of the place being low, she really didn't see why it was so good for this. It had to be the event of the second exam that made it special.

There were other places after all. Konoha was home to the rocky chasms, a series of giant ravines full of rocky spikes, the dark forest behind the Hokage Monument, a forest that barely got any sun light and was home to poisonous plants and large creatures. The creatures weren't nearly as large as the ones in The Forest of Death, but they were terrifying to an unseasoned shinobi. Then there were the Falls, which allowed for many dangerous crash course lessons on self-preservation, evading, and if you had someone firing jutsu from above (Madara had decided the for training, he would spawn 5 clones and play 'Hit Naruko with giant fireballs!' for a training session.) Her eyebrow twitched as she remembered her personal experience.

The Uzumaki's instincts suddenly became on alert, and she twisted her head, hand swiping past her kunai pouch. She gripped her three pronged Kunai tightly in her hand and swiped upward. Naru deflected the kunai aimed for her head, her icy blue eyes directed on the playful ones of Anko Mitarashi. "It's rude to daydream when someone's talking to you brat."

There were several snickers, however Naru only smiled at Anko. "And? I have no respect for a woman who wears clothing that shoves their boobs out of their chest."

Anko's eyebrow raised and she stalked forward so her and Naruko were face to face. Naruko was slightly annoyed when the woman made a show of bending to her height, but kept her mouth shut. "Oh? You're quite different from these other brats."

Konoha's Snake Mistress grinned while Naruko smirked in return, her eyes slanted down in annoyance as she kept them closed. Naru's smile turned dark as she let out a giggled that sounded more like an insane cackle. "Neither are you, Mi-ta-rah-shi."

Uzumaki sounded out the syllables, just to allow the hiss to fall into every single one. Anko's eyes darkened as she stared down at the red head, taking in her attire and her weapon. Her lip twitched, and she pulled back, laughing as Naruko opened her eyes. "You'll make this interesting for me Brat."

Naru only shrugged, her smirk vanishing into her mask as the two shared a glint of the eyes. However, Naru's posture stiffened when a ninja appeared behind Anko. Her hand tilted the kunai at her side at an angle, ready to fling it at the Grass Nin now holding a kunai to Anko's neck with _her tongue_. Naru suppressed a shiver, her eyes catching the Grass Nin's. Her eyes were blank, like that of the dead. She had brown eyes, but the brown was dark and hollow enough to be black.

The ninja chuckled, and Anko suppressed her own shiver as the nin spoke. "I figured you'd want this."

Anko paused before reaching and taking the Kunai from the woman's tongue, grimacing at the sticky saliva left on the handle. She put on a fake smile and inwardly declared and signed the Woman's death sentence. "Thank you…"

The grass nin pulled away, the teams around them too stunned or grossed out to speak. Instead, Anko cleared her throat. "Alright you brats, let's begin the Second Exam. First off however…"

Mitarashi reached into her beige coat, Naruko stepping back with her team. Anko then pulled out a slip of paper with flourish, catching all the Genin Nin's eyes. "You have to sign these forms to make sure Konoha can't be sued in the event that one or two of you die. And there will be deaths." She smiled happily as though she was talking about petting a puppy, Naru inwardly shaking her head in amusement. Outwardly she did nothing but sigh as the Genin all around her started to protest. They were ninja after all, they were expected to die early.

After Team Seven finished signing their contracts, as well as the rest of the Genin, Anko had told them what the Exam was. They were supplied with one scroll, either marked Heaven or Earth, and had to get the opposite of what they got. They then had to make their way through the forest to the tower in the middle. The catch however, was that they had to make it to the tower within three days with both scrolls, or they'd fail automatically.

As Team Seven went up to the stall where they'd be given their scroll, hidden from the other teams of course, they decided that Naruko would take the scroll since she could simply hide it in one of the storage scrolls. They exited their booth, a Chunin Leaf Ninja leading them away from it to their assigned gate, Gate 11.

I~~~~l

Five shinobi crouched low on a several trees, Four of them wearing a beige dress-like top with a giant purple rope tied around their waists, while the last one, which was at the front of the group, wore a set of black attire.

That man had black combat boots paired with black pants and a grey fishnet top. The man wore a black trench coat over this, the long fabric going just below his knees when he stood. His hair, colored dark maroon, was straight and went down to his shoulders. He had deep violet eyes, paired with his well-tanned skin. A black bandana covered his face, the kanji for death imprinted on the front. The kanji for resurrection was on the back of his coat, and etched into the steal on his forehead and on the fingerless gloves he had on was the kanji for revenge to the side of the same symbol that the charm on his necklace had. The charm was a white swirl with a purple fan in the middle and three types of blades drawn right through it, several dog tags residing beside the charm.

The marron haired man's allies had varying appearances, one guy having bright orange spiky hair, pale skin, and a large physique. Another guy had brown hair pulled into a ponytail, tan skin, and several extra arms poking out of his sides. The third guy had white hair and what looked like an extra head hanging from the back of his own, as well as pale skin. Finally there was the only girl of the group. She had bright red hair and orange eyes, along with a black bandana covering her head and pale skin.

Each of the four commonly dressed Nin looked up at the Maroon haired man as his violet orbs darted over the area currently being guarded by Konoha Chunin. He paused to grab the red handle of the katana strapped to his side, his other hand touching the dark blue, almost black handle of the short sword strapped to his back. "Now!"

The Nin shot forward as the man's surprisingly light voice sounded. The man landed in the middle of the Chunin, who immediately were on the offensive as he pulled his blades free. He turned, and in seconds, whisked his blades through the bodies of several Konoha Nin. His partners attacked the other nin in the same fashion, working quickly to dispose of the troubling Ninja before they could retaliate.

The man only smirked as he drove his blades through spines and necks, ending their lives as painlessly as possible. He swerved, plunging his blade deep into the back of a Ninja with brown hair, He pulled it out quickly, the man falling forward. His spine had snapped and his heart had been stabbed all at once, making it impossible for the man to survive. The Chunin backed away slightly, gripping their Kunai as they grit their teeth. The man only twisted to face them, eyes glinting in amusement. "Ready to die?"

I~~~~l

Minato shot through the forest, Madara, Tobirama, Hashirama, and another Anbu member beside him as they sped through the trees. They had gotten the notification from an Outpost near the fire temple of the Land of Fire not too long ago about an enemy attack. There had been five assailants accounted for, and all were apparently skilled.

Minato cursed his luck that he hadn't yet marked the outposts with his Hirashin, otherwise it would have been so much easier to get to the outpost. The trees started to thin, and the nin sped up more as they sailed over the last branch into a clearing.

Minato froze however at the site before him, his throat feeling tight. Before them was a grassy field, littered with bodies and covered in blood. A man was fighting in the middle of it, attacking to remaining nin. Minato grit his teeth as he saw the blade in the man's right hand gracefully arching to slice the Nin in half. His mind cleared, and he flashed forward.

The Maroon haired man swung his blade in a graceful arch, expecting the metal to slice through the flesh of the two ninja in front of him. His expectations were shattered however when a three pronged kunai with a sealing array on the handle blocked his strike. He paused, before flipping backward to avoid being hit by a giant fireball. Several flashed of color appeared where he was before, the fireball fading. His eyes surveyed the figures left in the smoke and dust, and he felt his lips twitch again. "Well, well, well. Seems like Konoha got some new Anbu."

A chuckle left his lips as he stood, blades held in a backwards grip as his team appeared behind him. He counted out the opposing team of nin, wondering just what kind of Anbu they were. The one with that had blocked him wore a gold fox mask with black and red markings, pale brown hair poking out behind it. Two nin stood beside him, one with a silver wolf mask with black and red markings, and another with a bronze tiger mask with black and red markings. The one with the silver mask had black hair poking out in spikes, and the one with the bronze mask had long brown strands of hair falling to his shoulders. Behind them guarding the two remaining Chunin were a man with a black raven mask with red markings and spiky raven hair, and another man with an emerald colored turtle mask with white markings, his hair a spiky brown.

"Well, you all certainly are different."

Madara's eye twitched, quite pissed that that was all the man before them had noticed. Madara pause however, staring at the man's features intently. He had marron hair and violet eyes, reminding Madara of an Uzumaki. The conclusion was close to impossible though, considering Kushina was the only one known to have survived.

The man then smirked at them, genuine _amusement_ filling his eyes. "I hope you put up more of a fight then your pathetic friends did. Disappointing."

Madara barely saw Minato move, but a second later the Golden Boy had engaged the man in a locking of Kunai and blade. Madara hissed as the man's team attacked them, wondering why the hell he was stuck with the idiots. Tobirama and the other Anbu weren't too bad he supposed though. Still, something was familiar with the way the man attacked with his blades, and it seemed that Tobirama thought the same judging on the fact that his eyes almost never left the man.

Minato ducked and shifted to the side to avoid the swift swings of the man's katana, before blocking it with his kunai again. He dodged the second blade and flipped over the man, flashing through hand signs. "Fire style, Fire Lotus Jutsu!"

He shot several supercharged balls of fire at the man, whom flipped and scurried under the onslaught, his movements precise and agile. He had a lean physique that allowed him to easily evade the large fireballs. Minato landed on the ground, just in time to block another strike from the man. His eyes hardened, and he faintly felt a familiarity enter his body, before he was once again dodging and blocking the strikes the man gave him. As the onslaught continued however, Minato got a better look at the peculiar style the man used. His eyes widened, and he was forced to flip back several meters.

The maroon haired man stopped to settle into his stance again, the red handled katana pointed to the ground in a forward grip, the blue handled katana held toward the air in a backwards grip. His eyes shined with mischief, and his feet shifted so he could spring at any time and gain speed while doing so. Minato's eyes shifted around the battle area, surveying the number of men dead. 20 in total, all of them killed either with a clean slice through the neck or a type of jab at the spin. His breathing hitched as a familiar sight registered in his head. His head twisted back to the enemy nin so fast he gave himself whiplash, but he hardly cared. Instead he stared intently at the man's headband, his body shaking.

I~~~~l

Naruko grunted softly as she kicked a Rain nin in the stomach, the yellow-clad nin flying into a tree and falling forward unconscious. She panted softly, slightly worked over the Taijutsu spar she and the nin had been doing for the past ten minutes. Behind her she heard Sasuke and Sakura trying up the other two nin on the brat's team. She sighed and hauled the body over to the rest, helping secure him to his teammates before checking him for the scroll. She came up with an Earth Scroll, the same as their starting one. "Shit." Sasuke cursed, Sakura groaned, and Naruko sighed. "Well that's just sucky…oh well. Sasuke, you keep this one, alright?"

Sasuke grunted and took the offending item, before stalking away from his teammates. Sakura frowned, but followed after Naruko when she headed in the same direction.

They had only encountered the Team from Rain so far, and now had a double scroll. They were already half a day into the Exam, and Team Seven needed to hurry and set up camp. Naruko had suggested they set up earlier in order to draw out the Rain nin she had sensed, but Sasuke had decided to continue forward. Naruko sighed and muttered something under her breath, Sasuke pretending not to hear the jab at him. Sakura growled finally, and stalked forward, grabbing Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke we need to stop and rest, we've been running for hours and it'll get dark soon."

Naru also added her own two cents, albeit a bit more quietly. "Sakura's right. You both need to rest to save your energy. I'll even take first watch."

Sasuke turned sharply, glaring at Naru. "If you can still go than so can I Dobe!"

Naru glared at the Uchiha, her earlier annoyance for him sparking to life. "No you can't. Your eyes are drooping Teme."

Sasuke moved to retort when Sakura cut in. "Naruko! You should be just as tired as us, don't act like you aren't, and Sasuke-Kun, just listen to us for once!"

The pinkette huffed, gritting her teeth to bite back the bile rising in her throat for yelling at Sasuke. Said Uchiha growled and stepped menacingly toward Sakura. He was stopped however when a powerful unsuspecting wind shoved all of them off their feet, Naruko's eyes widened as she flew far away from her team. _'Shit!'_

I~~~~l

Minato's throat became clammy and dry as he stared at the man, his teeth clenching. "Y-You…"

The former Yondaime's voice was hoarse, the man perking up at the change in tone while his smirk fell to a confused frown. "Me?"

Minato gathered his wits, eyes narrowing to slits. "You're a remnant of the Oreshizoku clans…Your kenjutsu style, your attire, your features…"

The masked blonde managed to keep the shudder and disbelief out of his voice, however the sudden tightening in the man's stance showed he was right. A hollow laugh left the man's throat, and he smirked once more at Minato. All humor was gone though, and he quickly deposited his blades into their sheathes. "And here I thought my clan was long forgotten…seems I was wrong, Konoha trash…"

The Oreshizoku's eyes darkened and he waved his hand over his head. "Get over here, we're done here."

His four teammates appeared by his side as he shared Minato a glance. "Konoha will pay for its foolishness…and for its destruction of my clans." With that, the man flashed through hand signs that made Minato's fight or flight steer toward flight. The man's hand his hand slammed into the ground just as Minato realized what the jutsu was.

" _Blood style, Blood Rush Jutsu!"_

Minato barely had time to yell for everyone to run.

I~~~~l

Naruko wiped her arms free of the sticky white goop mixed with red blood. Being swallowed by a snake was something she never wanted to experience again. Shivering, she tuned her senses, sending out waves of chakra in hopes of finding her comrades. About 50 meters away she finally caught Sasuke's chakra, her eyes snapping open as she felt her limbs grow heavier. She had been doing chakra enhanced running for the better half of the day, sparring with slightly chakra enhanced limbs for ten minutes without rest, and finally had just forced Kurama's chakra through a snake to force it to combust and explode.

The red head's chakra reserves were low, and she was tired from the extreme use without a single second of rest till now. She ground her teeth together in annoyance, and shot towards Sasuke's position. The bastard better have a good reason for simple standing there and not looking for her, or she'd kill him. Damn the council to hell.

Naru's senses suddenly went on high alert again as she felt a heavy malicious chakra, rivaling Minato's, but not quite Madara's level of Killer intent. The nin was stronger than Zabuza by far, the reserves shown higher than the average Chunin's. Her throat tightened and she quickened her pace as her heart pounded in her ears. _'K-kurama!'_

She called to the fox just as she entered a clearing, landing on a long branch. She panted lightly, but heavier than after her match. Her eyes darted around, before landing on Sasuke's form in front of Sakura, guarding her as he gripped a Kunai in his shoulder. "Sasuke!"

The Uchiha looked at her, eyes wide. She saw his lips move before she heard his yell, and she turned sharply. Her chest felt like ice again, and her blue eyes rested on the woman standing behind her. Or at least, the thing that had been female. The ninja licked his lips, smirking down at Naru as his killer intent sky rocketed, bordering on Madara's level. "Kukuku, looks like the demon decided to join us, eh Sasuke-Kun?"

" **Kit get the hell out of here!"**

 **And bamb! Cliffhanger! Thanks to for the change in the chapter design. It took a little longer to write this especially with school getting in the way. Now without Thanksgiving break happening, I get to enjoy a bit more peace than normal. I hope you all like my other OC, Maroon Man XD. He of course has another name, but he's very secretive. His personality is always changing, and he loves to fight. He also happened to be a survivor of the Oreshizoku Clan, and hates Konoha more than a pretty girl hates split ends.**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Anyways that's Chapter XI. I believe next chapter is the middle of the Chunin Exam's Arc, followed by the Tsunade Retrieval, and the Uchihas Betrayal.**

 **Thanks for reading, Review if you wish, they are greatly appreciated.**

 _ **Jutsu's**_

 _ **Blood Style-Blood Rush Jutsu**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements**_ _-An A-Rank Forbidden technique that requires expert chakra control, high chakra reserves, and knowledge of the body's basic anatomy._

 _ **Description-**_ _By taking control of the blood in one's body, a Blood user can then force their blood to rush to one spot, making them immobile and/or into their own personal puppet for the amount of time the user can keep the jutsu running. The chakra needed for this technique is very high, at least half that of a normal Chunin's. The reason for this is in order to take control, the user must direct their chakra into thin lines, much like the chakra strings a puppet master may use, stabbing the thin needle like strands into another person's chakra network._

 _ **Previous users recorded of being able to use this are as follows-**_

 _Michiko Oreshizoku(Sashiko's mother)_

 _Dante Orezhizoku(Michiko's Father)_

 _Hakuro Oreshizoku(Oreshizoku Founding Council Member)_

 _Denbae Uzumaki(Third Son of Hakuro)_

 _Mr. Maroon/Aka Mystery Oreshizoku Survivor(Unkown, Blood Style Line)_

 _ **Blood Style-Blood Lotus Jutsu**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements-**_ _Three Petaled-D Rank, Five Petaled-C Rank, Six Petaled-B Rank, Twelve Petaled-A Rank, Eighteen Petaled-S Rank. Requirements include Blood Style Bloodline, and mediocre to master chakra control, as well as high chakra reserves for Six Petaled Lotus or higher._

 _ **Description-**_ _Blood style chakra gathers around the user, forming the specified number of razor sharp petals. If desired one can add poison to the effect and produce_ _ **Blood Style- Poisoned Blood Lotus Jutsu**_ _. Primarily used as a defensive rather than offensive technique. High chakra control needed for Six Petaled and above due to the amount of chakra molding one must do. It was compared ot the Uchiha's Great Fireball technique due to the fact that all children with the blood style blood limit were taught this jutsu as their first official jutsu, which then made them into actual Ninja in the eyes of their peers. The amount of petals one can do is also considered the ranking system to those with the Blood Limit._

 _ **Blood Style-Blood Clone Jutsu**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements-**_ _B Rank. Requirements include Semi-High chakra levels, Basic chakra control, and the Blood Style Bloodline._

 _ **Description -**_ _A clone that retains memories and can withstand most hits. It bleeds unlike other clones, and vanishes when struck fatally, but several seconds after. It doesn't use as much chakra, due to it being a mix of chakra and blood. Most 3_ _rd_ _level Blooline members (Chunin Equivilant) know the jutsu._

 _ **# Seals Style Jutsus**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements-**_ _D Rank to S Rank, the number of seals upping the amount of chakra needed. Mediocre to Master Chakra control needed, along with a large knowledge of Hand Seals, Inked Seals, and the Chakra network._

 _ **Description-**_ _Jutsu that don't require a specific bloodline or Elemental nature. Mostly used for summoning, along with sealing objects. A known trait for Uzumaki to learn when they are Jonin Lvl._

 **Summoning Jutsu-Fox Clan Contract**

 **Rank and basic requirements-** No specified Rank. Only requirement is signing the fox clan contract.

 **Description-** Used to summon the esteemed yet forgotten fox clan. Foxes are very loyal, have higher chakra reserves, better healing abilities, and a more in tune connection to nature than most Summoning Animals. They are also picky about who they allow to sign the contract. The Boss summon is Gadian Fokkusu, or Guardian Fox. Kurama was the first of the clan however, and spread his chakra when he was young with the help of the Sage of Six Paths. The same goes for the other Biju, who all have their own summoning contracts.

 **Chibi Naruko Uzumaki-Kurai Meets Naru Part II**

 _Naruko smiled happily as she walked down a forest path, her hair done into two red spiky pigtails._

 _Behind her trodded Kurai, his boyish features set into a scowl as he blew his red hair from his face._

" _~Stupid cute child…damn it I need to be more evil!~"_

 _Naruko glanced back at the boy, and grinned evilly._

" _Kurai~!"_

 _Her sing song voice made him still, and he turned his gaze to her bright wide blue eyes, just as she performed the Blood Clone Jutsu._

" _Secret Technique-"_

 _Kurai's eyes widened and he tried to run, only for hundreds of chibi Naruko's to appear._

" _Thousand Puppy Dog Eyes Jutsu!"_

 _Kurai screamed, falling forward as every muscle in his body twitched._

" _S-Shit…too…too adorable…mind…melting."_

" _Score 500 for Naruko, 0 for Kurai!"_

 _ **Preview**_

 _A gasp of pain left Naru's lips, the palm on her stomach making her mind go blank. She felt her vision begin to blacken, her power draining quickly as the 5 pentagram seal pushed Kurama out of her head. "Kukuku, so much potential…as a Jinchuuriki with all those bloodlines. I suppose I'll have to mark you too, Little Kitsune." As the horrid voice and its cackling vanished, Naru felt a searing heat enter her neck, another scream echoing in the forest as she passed out, dropped to the tree branch below her as Orochimaru licked his lips. "Such power…without that fox in the way, I can control not one Sharingan user, but two."_


	12. XII Cursed Bloodlines

**Hello my Readers! Thanks for choosing SCCLD, I promise you will enjoy my writing! Well maybe…anyways I got this chapter typed up, and was pretty happy with it. It's longer than normal chapters, due to me tweaking my whole outline. Oh well, it was fun! However, it's December and things are kinda, well bad. I'm not falling behind in school, but the pressure is building. I'm scrambling to get my star event project perfected, and the paperwork in order. I have to focus in math, and I forget to get much sleep. I don't have a lot of time for fun things, but I try. Christmas Break is going to happen in two weeks, so I should get an update each of those weeks (Maybe even post one of my other stories or a Christmas special) I may end up in the gifted program however, so that may also take up more time. Over all I'm seeing that going to school again can be hard, but I'll be good. I'm sure everyone else has it worse when it comes to school…Not looking forward to end of the year. *Grumbles* Sooo not a testing person. Anyways enjoy, and thanks for all the Reviews and Follows or Favorites. I appreciate them all, as well as the PM's. If you want to review but don't want others to see it, just PM me. I don't mind it, and it always makes school easier to see your helpful comments or to hear you enjoy my story.**

 **Disclaimer-If I owner Naruto, I'd move to Canada…Maybe…No I'd pay off my mom's student loans…**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my readers, who give me something fun** _ **and**_ **educational to do.**

Naruko's eyes locked with the man's, her heart beat accelerating as he licked his lips. He chuckled, and suddenly she was sent flying, clutching her stomach as the wind was knocked from her lungs. It registered in her mind that she had just been kicked in the chest. She slammed into a tree's trunk, before falling forward, down to the ground. She clutched her chest and her eyes narrowed as she got a grip of her hands. She flashed through hand signs as she neared the bottom, grunting as her chest spasmed, healing itself. "Blood Style, Three Petaled Blood Lotus Jutsu!"

Blood Chakra poured from the Jinchuuriki's hand as she slammed it into the air, forcing itself downward. The chakra sharpened to three petals, which curled inward once the chakra was on the ground, catching Naruko safely in their folds. Naru didn't have time to relax however, sensing the man appearing on the ground with her. She rolled out of her petals, releasing the jutsu as she ghosted her hands over her scrolls. The man smirked and brought his left hand up, holding the earth scroll she had strapped to her side. "Looking for this, Demon?" He laughed pleasantly, and the scroll erupted into flames.

Naru began to grind her teeth on one another as her canines sharpened. "Bastard!"

The man tsked, taking out another scroll. This one was a Heaven scroll, and presumably his. "Now, now. That's no way to talk to your betters."

He smirked and his tongue wrapped around the scroll, pulling it down into his throat without trouble. She felt her stomach squeeze, feeling sickened over the sight. "G-Gross."

His feet moving toward her however snapped her from her thoughts. "You have the Blood Style? That's unusual…I was certain that only Michiko-Chan's children had such a bloodline."

Naru shifted into her stance, her hands becoming occupied by her boa staff seconds later. Her eyes were now red, the pupils slit. "That's none of your business."

He only gave her a once over, before shifting his stance from carefree to on guard. "Why don't why duel, and if I win you tell me how you got ahold of that bloodline. If you win, I'll give you my scroll."

Naru didn't answer, instead lunging forward, Kurama's chakra running through her veins. **"Damnit Kit…You need to grab your Teammates and get out of here!"**

Naru didn't dare answer Kurama, instead trying to dodge and land a hit on the creepy snake-like man in front of her. He was only playing with her though, smirking as she went through her stances. She was careful not to reveal a lot about her style, instead switching between several when it was needed. She was glad for Tobirama and Madara's harsh teachings with Taijutsu and Bukijutsu now. She launched herself back, landing gracefully on a tree, her chakra sticking her to the bark effortlessly. "Your chakra control is quite good, considering the amount of chakra you have."

Again Naruko didn't comment, making the Man slightly annoyed. "Are you not going to answer me, Demon?"

Naru's fangs dug into her upper lip, and she twirled her staff, slamming it into the scroll at her side. Her other hand ghosted past the one of her right side, a blade appearing in her hand. "If you want a demon, you'll get one."

She twisted the sword into a backwards grip, her other hand resting just above the handle. She fed her blood chakra into the blade, swiping the blade by her lip in order to coat the side in blood. "Blood Style, Blade of the Dead!"

Red chakra gathered around the chakra sensitive metal, coiling and sharpening it as she lunged forward again. This time however, she stayed using one stance, one style.

Her body twisted, her arms remaining straight, her wrists the only things really moving besides her shoulders. She'd slice downward and across, the Man moving backward once or twice, only to find himself bleeding when he dodged. Naru kept her Uchiha Façade on, continuing her assault in hopes of maybe injuring the man fatally. However, after the first dozen hits, he seemed to have figured out the special properties of the jutsu she had cast. "You fuel Blood Chakra into the blade, and extend the cutting range per the amount of chakra surrounding the blade. It's an excellent technique against maybe a Chunin, but for someone like me who has been around Kenjutsu masters for years…"

She gasped, his arm gripping her hand on the handle, his lips set into a sneer. "You are nothing more than a child wielding a stick that can cut."

He twisted, and Naruko swore she heard her wrist snap. Her blade dropped, and she made a one handed release sign, forcing it back into its summoning scroll. The man raised his hand, moving it down in order to slam it into her shoulder, immobilizing her. Her eyes shut tightly, the red swirling orbs coming to surface, just as an immense heat forced it's way in between her and the man.

Sakura was quickly to snatch Naruko out of harm's way, tumbling to the side as Sasuke engaged the man in combat again. The Man was slightly surprised, but his surprise faded to a type of sick glee when Sasuke began his assault. "Oh Sasuke-Kun, couldn't stay away now could you?"

Sakura shivered alongside her female companion, the two feeling bad for Sasuke. "That Man…he's more powerful than Kakashi-Sensei."

Sakura looked at Naruko in shock, however seeing the events she believed her. It didn't take long for the Haruno to notice that Naruko's eyes were shut tightly, her teeth sharpened and clenched, her hand on her stomach. She was in pain, but didn't want to ask for help. "You Baka, you're injured!"

The Pinkette forced Naru's hand from her stomach, earning a gasp from the girl. "Let me heal you so we can help Sasuke. We have a better chance working together anyways."

Sasuke fired another fireball at the man, grunting as he felt his reserves deplete further. He was nearing exhaustion, and it was getting harder and harder to try and keep up with the mysterious and gross individual before him. He glanced back at his team, noticing Naruko with her eyes closed, being force-healed by Sakura. A sigh of relief slipped from his lips, the distraction costing him. He was sent flying back into a tree, in much the same fashion as his red-haired teammate, the wind knocked from his lungs as he slammed into the rough bark. He grunted, and forced himself to not fall forward into the dirt like he desperately wanted to.

The man was in the same space he was earlier, smirking at him in amusement. He seemed like a god, someone that couldn't be touched by anyone, let alone Sasuke. But Sasuke was an Uchiha, the best of the best. He was meant to do anything, including becoming a god-slayer. That's what killing Itachi would be like for him, slaying an unjust god. However, the beating he was taking was making it harder and harder to believe he could face Itachi. This man's strength had to be greater than Itachi's, he had to be smarter, because not even Itachi was at this level of power when he murdered their clan.

Sasuke's train of thought was disturbed however when a giant gust of wind flew at the man. "Wind Style, Great Breakthrough!"

Naruko landed beside him, along with Sakura. The Man skidded back a few feet at first, but soon remained unmoving. "Shit, he's funneling chakra into his feet. I so hoped to pay him back for earlier too." Sasuke's fist clenched at the fact that Naruko looked fine, despite the fact her eyes were closed still. "What the hell Dobe! You need to get Sakura out of here, I'll hold this bastard off!"

Naruko's eyebrow twitched, and she scowled. "Shut the hell up Uchiha Brat, we have a better chance working together like Sakura said. Now man up and fight with us, or continue being an asshole just because you don't get all the glory. I could care less."

Sasuke flinched, Sakura sighing but muttering that she agreed with Naruko. "Come one, my chakra control is better than last time. I want to do the combo that we did on Kakashi-Sensei."

Naruko nodded, flashing through hand signs. "Got it, Sasuke if you want to help, then do Plan B from the Bell Test.

With that said, Naruko slammed her hand into the ground, wincing as her chakra depleted to a third of its normal capacity. "25 Seal Technique, Geyser Arena Summoning Jutsu!"

Just as her chakra flooded into the ground, hot water geysers began to break through the surface, the man moving barely in time to avoid being sprayed with hot water. _'That took way more out of me than the last time.'_ Naru took out her seals and kunai attached to ninja wire, going after the man.

' **That's because you had more water last time, you were near a river after all. Here however there's little water in the ground, forcing you to use more chakra Kit.'** Kurama hissed out the explanation, and she sighed. It was handy other times, but right now she needed to focus or she'd end up dead.

 _l~~~~l_

Minato looked over the wreckage around him, his eyes fixing on two Chunin. Both were fine, unconscious, but fine. Next his gaze drifted over Emerald Turtle, finding him helped Tobirama and Hashirama. A pair of sandals stepped up to where he lay, and Minato looked up to find Madara staring down at him. "You used Hirashin to get us out of there, didn't you?"

Minato didn't supply Madara with an answer, since the question was actually more of a statement of fact. Madara looked around them, his lips drawn into a tight frown. "Konoha always was bad keeping its people from turning on them."

Minato flinched at the statement, knowing it to be true. Still, he didn't want to agree with the statement. It was proven over and over throughout Konoha's history however. First Madara left Konoha, followed by several Uzumaki to their Homeland, next Orochimaru disappeared after his experiments were found. After that the Oreshizoku's ties to Konoha became strained when Konoha wouldn't send Shinobi to aid them, but Uzushio would. After the two clans met their gruesome ends, there were several Chunin that left Konoha in order to become missing nin. There was also Itachi Uchiha, only he was of the worst betrayal's, and finally Minato's own Daughter, Naruto, wanted to leave.

The blonde kage was unsure of whether she still did, do to them fighting over her ties to Gaara. His eyes suddenly widened, and his heart clenched as he felt a sharp bolt of fear through the charm bracelet on his right wrist, a matching set to his daughter's necklace. "Naruko!"

 _l~~~~l_

Orochimaru's eyes lit up as he watched the ground the pink haired brat had hit explode into a giant crater. While the technique had nothing compared to his former teammate's, the girl was still very good at using that particular style. Backed with the fast and precise Nine-Tail's container and Sasuke-Kun's quick thinking, the Team stood a chance against most high level nin. However, Orochimaru's league was barely matched by two Konoha shinobi, both whom were away at the moment. He didn't even consider Sarutobi in the slightest, the old fool nothing but a bag of bones.

The Snake Sannin swiftly bent his back, far more than a normal person should be able to, in order to dodge another kunai. His eyes caught sight of the tag flying freely behind it however, and he was shocked to see not an explosive seal, but a lightning one. "Sasuke!" At the red-head's call, Sasuke pulled ninja wire that surrounded Orochimaru, explosive tags and lightning tags mixed along the lines and on the ground around him. He felt a grin threaten to split his face, moments before two jutsu's were called. "Wind-Style, Wind Cyclone Jutsu!", "Fire Style, Great Lightning-Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

A pause before both shouted out, "Combination Technique, Exploding Great Lightning-Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

A massive explosion took over the clearing, dust flying up high within ten meters of the area. Trees collapsed as a shrieking sound followed the roaring of flames. Sasuke collapsed next to Naruko, the girl panting just as heavily as he was. Sakura stood behind them, trying to catch her breath as well. Plan B of the Bell Test had been an elaborate lattice work of wire, seals, and jutsu. The wire would be wrapped around trees in a circle formation by one member of the team while the other two distracted the target. The lone member would switch places with one of the other two, and that member would proceed to place tags on the wire as their teammates handled the man. The last one would force the man into the middle of the trap before getting the hell out of there, allowing the ones who placed the trap to activate the actual sequence. In this case a Wind and Fire jutsu were added to the assault from the explosive and lightning seals in order to make it bigger.

Team Seven surveyed the area, Naruko's heart heavy as she hoped that it had at least done some damage to the bastard attacker. **'I doubt that stopped him kit…'**

The smoke and sounds began to clear, Team Seven huddling together in case the man had survived. All of them were nearly drained, Sakura having the most out of all of them. Naruko had been the one to fuel the seals with chakra, so she was quite frankly nearly empty. She was hoping Kurama was wrong, but the heaviness in her gut said differently. Sasuke had been fighting the man before Naruko had even came, and the Fire Jutsu had drained a lot of his chakra. None of them were in any shape to continue fighting, they all needed rest. The dust began to settle, and all of them stretched their eyes, hands holding kunai just in case. Naruko tried to send out chakra to sense something, frowning for a moment. She was cut off however, by a searing pain on her neck were her necklace was. **'Kit, to your right!'**

Naru's gaze turned sharply to Sasuke at her right hand side, and she shouted for him to move. She was too late however, a head with a long snake-like neck shooting out of the ground, a vicious grin etched into her memory as the head sank its teeth into Sasuke's neck.

"Sasuke!"

Naruko and Sakura shouted out at the same time, dashing for their teammate as the head retreated back to the ground, a body climbing out seconds later. Both girls were by Sasuke in seconds, Sakura holding his arm tightly, worry and horror etched into her features. The Uchiha screamed, eyes wide in pain as his neck burned under the hand that covered it. "D-Damn it…"

The Uchiha fell forward, Sakura barely catching him in time. "Sasuke! W-What did you do to him!?"

Naruko turned to the man, her nerves melting away as she felt a familiar burn in her chest. Her blood began to rush through her veins, her closed eyes now open, glaring at the man. Sakura glanced to her teammate when the killer intent in the area was raised, her eyes widening further when she saw Naruko's eyes. "N-Naru…y-you're eyes…"

The shaking in her voice caused Naruko to flinch, even as she glared at the man before her, who was also staring at her in wonder. **'Damnit, this isn't good.'**

"You, you have the Sharingan…"

Orochimaru spoke the words in slight shock, and a form of eager joy. "It's also fully matured, unlike Sasuke-Kun's."

The man chuckled, and his eyes lit up. **'Naruko, get the hell out of here, NOW!'**

A second after Kurama's warning a gasp of pain left Naru's lips, a palm now push into her stomach making her mind go blank as air was forced from her lungs. She felt her vision begin to blacken, the chakra she had left draining quickly as the 5 pentagram seal pushed Kurama out of her head. **'BASTAR-'**

The Kyuubi's curses fell silent, her vision blurry as the chakra rushed out of her body to hide behind the seal. "Kukuku, so much potential as a Jinchuuriki with all those bloodlines at your disposal, for whatever you may need... I suppose I'll have to mark you too, Little Kitsune."

As the horrid voice and its cackling vanished, Naru felt a searing heat enter her neck, another scream echoing in the forest as she passed out, dropped to the tree branch below her as Orochimaru licked his lips. "Such power…without that fox in the way, I can control not one Sharingan user, but two."

Orochimaru looked up at the pink haired girl that was shaking beside Sasuke. "I'll leave them both with that parting gift for now. Make sure they make it to the finals, little girl, or I won't be pleased."

With that said, he sank into the ground, Sakura rushing over to Naruko. "N-Naru!"

 _l~~~~l_

Minato appeared in the Hokage's office, his breathing ragged as his masked face turned sharply to Sarutobi. "N-Naruko, there's something wrong Hokage-Sama!"

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed on Minato as he stood. "Kin Kitsune, what about Naruko?"

Minato grit his teeth and clamed himself, staring into the Hokage's eyes. "T-The seal, it's been blocked. I can't go to her or feel the Kyuubi's chakra."

Sarutobi's gaze hardened just as an Anbu appeared kneeling beside Minato. "Hokage-Sama, Jonin Mitarashi has reported deaths of a Team of Grass Genin dated to before the Second Exam. Her conclusion was that Orochimaru was responsible. She promptly went to find him inside the Forest of Death as soon as she had told us. "At the name, the other Shinobi in the room stiffened, Minato's mind going into overdrive as his mind went to the worst and most likely conclusion. "Orochimaru went infiltrated the Chunin Exams, and attacked Team Seven for Sasuke's Sharingan…"

The Yondaime hissed out his theory, Sarutobi's eyes meeting his in a silent conversation. If Orochimaru had attacked Naru's team, than more than likely he now knew of Naruko's bloodlines. "Boar, set the Anbu on level 3 alert. Gold Fox, go with Boar and back up Mitarashi Anko."

They both nodded, Sarutobi's fist clenching as they left. He sharply turned towards the village, glaring out beyond the village walls. "Orochimaru…"

His fists tightened further.

 _l~~~~l_

Sakura brushed the sweat from her brow, twisting the rag in her hands in a basin, before dipping it into another. She set it back onto Naru's head, repeating the process with Sasuke's rag. Both groaned, Naru having a feverish flush to her skin as she twisted on the rocky ground, Sasuke deathly still and letting out pained whimpers. She sighed gently, and channeled her chakra to her hands in a series of short breaths, placing her palm on Naru's forehead. She channeled her chakra carefully, sending in the cooling waves like the scroll had said. She let out a heavy breath when Naru's feverish flush faded, leaving the sweaty and exhausted girl to smile. "You'll be alright…I won't allow anything to happen to you."

The Pinkette let out a soft smirk, and continued over to Sasuke, pushing her chakra out again with a couple more even breaths. She stopped however when her chakra expanded her vision, allowing her to locate the three nin hiding in the shrubbery. She stilled for a moment before standing. She grabbed her bucket, and walked out of the tree trunk. She poured out the water, pretending to focus on the ground. In reality, she was forcing her chakra out in small amounts through the ground. She sensed the three nin again, and grew worried. 'I don't have enough Chakra…'

The Kunoichi calmed herself and entered the tree again, glad she set up her traps. She also took one of Naruko's scrolls, discretely summoning more weaponry. She needed to be ready for when they attacked. She knew they wouldn't go away, she had felt the bloodlust in their chakra.

 _l~~~~l_

Gaara's head snapped back as his Team neared the tower, and his sand began to pour from his gourd. His heart and lungs felt tight in his chest as his bloodlust grew. "N-Naruko…"

Thinking about his fellow red head, Subaku clenched his fist and glared at the forest, his voice barking out orders. "Kankuro, Temari, go to the tower and wait outside. If you run into any Teams besides the Konoha ones, then attack them."

The Jinchuuriki didn't give them time to question where he was going, instead focusing his chakra on one point in the forest. Moments later, he appeared in the ruins of a battleground, his eyes darting around in an attempt to find anything useful. He froze when someone appeared behind him, a kunai pressed against his throat. His sand rushed to the spot, ready to defend him from the attacker. "Gaara."

The voice stopped his sand, and he glanced back, his glare unwavering as they bored into the man's golden fox mask. "Anbu."

The man removed his kunai from Gaara's neck, his posture stiff. "You…tracked Naruko?"

Gaara paused, before answering the man, looking away to avoid the spikes in bloodlust. "Yes, however her trail ends here. I can no longer sense her chakra."

Minato looked at the boy who was obviously trying to be civil. His heart aching, Minato chose to trust the boy with his daughter's safety, since he couldn't intervene with the Exams anyways. "Are you able to trace her scent?"

Gaara's gaze snapped back to his own, and the teen nodded mutely, still glaring darkly. There was a hidden softness Minato knew, because of his daughter. He looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, and had to clench his teeth in order to be able to remove it. It pained him, removing something that tied him to his little girl. He handed it over to Gaara after a moment of reluctance. "Use that to find her. Protect her, you hear? I'll be after your head if she's hurt, understand?"

Gaara took the trinket, glancing down at the pendant in the middle of the long black and red beads. "I'll give the bracelet to her, so she can give it to you after we pass the Exams."

Minato's gaze softened on the child, and he let out a grunt in agreement. "I-I'll trust you with this then…"

The disguised father said nothing more, vanishing in a soft yellow blur. Gaara didn't notice though, turning away from the spot as he clutched the bracelet. He moved his hand, and clasped the fragile thing to his own wrist. "Naruko…"

 _l~~~~l_

 _Naru could hear the sounds of pain and smell blood, however her head was too foggy and she couldn't force her eyes open. She was stuck in what she deemed to be limbo, a black wasteland inside her head. It was strange though. Normally, she'd end up in Kurama's cage, or Kurai's ice lake. Instead, she was stuck in a world of shadows without light. Her back was pressed into the cold obsidian ground beneath her, her hands splayed at her sides. Her skin was deathly pale, and she didn't move an inch. Her breathing had even stopped, making her wonder why she wasn't uncomfortable. The mark on her neck was the only real source of color, as her clothes were all grey or black somehow._

 _The mark, previously black, glowed an ugly red as it sucked in her chakra. It then spit out the chakra, shoving the purple and dark feeling energy into her body. She tried to move again, tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn't budge. She tried to let to a growl of frustration, but nothing came out. She felt fear cease her mind, and it only grew when her heart didn't react. She kept trying to forced her limbs to move, but couldn't. Her mind fought harder, ordering her limbs to move, her eyes to open, her heart to beat._ 'N-No…I-I can't go…not yet! S-Sashiko!'

 _A small wetness formed on her cheek and Naruko felt her heart beat once as white chakra engulfed her body. Azure eyes sprang open in shock when a hand touched her cheek, a voice whispering into her head._ "Fight Little Sister…"

Naruto's blue eyes snapped open, and a feral growl sprang from her throat when she noticed a boy wearing a large white scarf and a grey and black camo shirt looming over Sasuke, a kunai in hand. "Get away from him!"

The shocked Sound Nin turned to her, only to end up tackled to the ground. Naruko's hand grasped his wrist, and in one jerk, the bone snapped. The boy screamed, and she gripped the limp hand, her Sharingan spinning amidst her anger. She flung the boy out of the tree stump she had been in. He flew out, right into a girl dressed in similar attire. She gasped, falling over from the unexpected assault. In front of her stood Sakura, battered and torn, her hair cut horribly, her arm bleeding. To her side was Rock Lee, also bleeding only in the ears, and to her right, stood Gaara. Naru's body shook as the red head turned to her in shock, only to freeze when he saw her Sharingan. "Naruko?"

Naru nodded to him, and looked to the people in front of her.

Another boy stood behind the girl and the bastard who had tried to kill Sasuke. She saw their headbands and a smirk grew along her lips. She felt a spark of purple chakra flow out as the killer intent in the area sky rocketed. "You tried to kill my Teammates and harm a Konoha Nin…"

Influenced by the rising malevolence in her body, Naru 'tsked' and laughed as she stepped forward. Her neck began to burn and Gaara's eyes widened. The Jinchuuriki's bloodlust had started to be sucked _out_ of him into the other Jinchuuriki. Gaara's mind was clearer for once, but he couldn't relish in the feeling. The dark emotions from the ninja before them were also sucked out, leaving them afraid.

"Oh…Orochimaru was the bastard that attacked us. Mmm, I suppose I'll allow you to return to him, with a message…"

Naruko purred out the words, and it made Gaara sick to see Naru turned into the sadistic person in front of him. He stepped forward, only for the red-head to vanish. She appeared in front of the boy she had tossed from the tree, the mark on her shoulder having grown to her elbow.

"Orochimaru-"

The Jinchuuriki paused in order to roundhouse the Sound Nin into a nearby tree. He let out a pained wheezing gasp, before falling forward coughing blood. She turned to the girl, snatching her up by her hair. She dragged her up, licking her lips. "is not-"

Again Uzumaki paused to attack with her fist, slamming it into the girl's gut, blood forcing itself out her lungs and onto Naru's face. Naru then brought the girl down, slamming her knee into her face. She snatched out her kunai, and with a quick swipe, cut the woman's hair quite close to the roots, even drawing blood where the kunai's tip skimmed the girl's neck. She let the girl fall then, and looked up at the last opposing Nin. She raised her kunai, pointing it at his forehead. Another second passed as a gust of wind blowing as Naru appeared in front of the boy, her kunai pressing between his eyes. "-to attack my friends again."

With the words spoken and her threat finished, Naruko dropped the Kunai, stepping into a solid stance. Her right hand's palm struck true, right in the boy's chest. He coughed up mucus, but Naru stepped back before it hit her. She chuckled coldly, holding her kunai again in her left hand instead. " _Run_."

The boy didn't have to be told twice, appearing by his Teammates. He picked them up, staring at Naru in fear. He tossed his scroll, a Heaven Scroll, forward, and left through the woods in a hurry. Naru twirled her kunai, her mark continuing to grow. "I need to let out a bit more of my anger…I'll let them think their safe for a few more seconds."

Gaara's fist clenched, and he stepped forward. He grabbed Naru's shoulder, turning her to face him. "N-Naruko, snap the hell out of it!"

Like normal, Subaku's voice was gravely. The boy was surprised when Naruko's eyes suddenly flickered from their Sharingan. "Gaara?"

Naruko stepped back as she registered her fellow red head, her eyes flickering again between Azure and red. Gaara kept his grip, glaring into the girl's orbs despite how awkward it felt to have contact with someone. For once, his _Mother_ was silent, and he could _think_. He didn't feel bloodlust or confusion, and while he did feel hate or loneliness, no emotion overcame the worry and a form of warming emotion Subaku felt had for his fellow Jinchuuriki standing in front of him. _"Little Sister, stop letting people rule over you."_

Gaara's eyes drifted behind the girl, to the smiling cyan-haired girl with blue eyes made up of a faded form of chakra. Her see through white hand touched Naruko's neck, and Gaara heard her soft whispering voice. _"Naruko…Don't let Orochimaru or anyone else take advantage of you, come back to your friends."_ The girl smiled softly with closed eyes, and vanished slowly in a swirl of white chakra. This chakra spiraled around the seal on Naruko's neck, that then split into lines, twisting to wrap around the seal. It then glowed blue, and finally turned black, sealing the curse mark. Naruko fell forward into Subaku's arms, unconscious, but free of the malevolent chakra.

 _l~~~~l_

Naru groaned softly, opening her eyes and blinking the haze away. She looked around her room, only to find a spot of silver right beside her. A black eye stared into her blue, and she refrained from blushing at the closeness and warmth. "K-Kakashi-Sensei?"

The red head's voice was dry, leading Kakashi to believe she needed water. He offered the cool glass to her, and she allowed him to pull her upward into a sitting position. She drank from the glass as though she hadn't have water in days, which Kakashi supposed was true. The girl looked over to her Sensei, then around the room again. "W-Where am I? Where's Sakura…a-and Sasuke?"

Kakashi paused before answering, glad she seemed alright and didn't look to be in pain. "They're alright. The Sand Genin, Subaku No Gaara helped them make it over here with you."

Naru's eyes widened, and a flood of memories entered her head as she heard Gaara's name. She groaned as a headache popped up from the onslaught of memories. She remembered waking the first time, the overwhelming dark emotions and chakra, before she was encased in the warm chakra Gaara possessed under his sand and the Bastard Tanuki's bloodlust. She also remembered hearing a soft voice, and her hand drifted to her neck. She turned her gaze, and Kakashi set his hand on hers. She jumped slightly, and he murmured an apology, pulling her hand back as she stared at the cursed seal, another seal paced over it. The lines were intricate, beautiful, and familiar. "Gaara said that the seal worked on suppressing the chakra in the cursed seal, but he wouldn't say who put the seal on you."

Naru had to swallow air in order to stop herself from choking on her own voice. "M-Me…I-I asked him not to before I passed out. I funneled my chakra to the spot and used a seal I had seen in one of the scrolls I have."

It was a lie, all of it, but Kakashi wouldn't know. No one would, since you couldn't read the scrolls without her bloodline. She smiled softly at Kakashi, her lips straining as her head pounded. "It was a blood jutsu seal, meant to cage emotions…s-so you know I figured it'd keep back the bad emotions that the cursed seal was drawing into me and-" She was cut off by the door opening, Anko Mitarashi peaking her head in. "Kid, if you still want to compete in the Chunin Exams, you better go no. The Hokage is making an announcement involving them."

Naruko's eyes widened, and Kakashi sighed. "Thanks Anko, I'll get her ready, just ask the Hokage for a couple more minutes."

Anko smirked and winked at Kakashi, however her gaze had lingered on Naruko's curse mark long enough for Naruko to notice the fury in her eyes. "Fine, but you owe me Dango for ordering me around Hatake."

The woman left, and Naru's brow furrowed, her heart burning. Kakashi looked back at her and sighed gently, smiling through his mask in relief. He ruffled her hair, and she blushed in surprise. "Anko has a cursed seal too…she knows what it's like and she pissed that you had to get one. They stick with you for good after all."

Naru nodded, turning to hide her face as she wondered what the hell was wrong with her. However, her chest felt warm, and she wondered if she was happy. It reminded her of sparring with her Father, and of spending time with Sashiko. At the thought of her deceased sister, the overlapping seal on her neck pulse slightly, sending warm nice feeling shivers down her spine. She shifted her legs to hang off the bed, and stood. She was careful to do it slowly, and carefully looked at her attire. She wore a large shirt and shorts, and wondered faintly who dressed her. She pushed it off however when she caught Kakashi staring at her shoulder, or rather above and past it. "You alright Kakashi-Sensei? Not going Senile are we?"

The Jinchuuriki allowed a small smirk, and Kakashi sighed. "I'm not that old…"

A hum was Kakashi's only answer and he rolled his eye, gently pushing Naru into the bathroom with her scrolls. "Just get ready. We don't have all day."

The bathroom door closed, and then the door to the room. Naruko was thankful though, and unsealed the scroll she kept her clothes in.

 _l~~~~l_

Naru stood among the groups of Teams, most of the teams from Konoha, one from sand, and one from sound. Naru's eyes drifted to the side, where Gaara stood. He was looking better, and he wasn't glaring at anyone. His siblings also seemed relaxed, and not nearly as scared of him. In fact, they even smiled at him, and he nodded back in acknowledgment, if a bit awkwardly.

Naru was shocked, but glad for him. With the seal on her neck sending more of the warming shivers down her spine, she found entitled to enjoy herself. She wondered if it was a side-effect of the seal, or part of the seal blocking her from Kurama. She calmed herself as she remembered the fox that would no doubt be yelling at her for not listening to him, if he wasn't being blocked by the Orochi-Teme's seal. Sighing, she turned her attention the new proctor. "Alright, my name is Hayate Geko. I-"

The man was cut off, hacking into his fisted left hand. Naru frowned when a metallic smell hit her heightened sense of smell. She bit her lip, growing confused as she felt worry for the man in front of her. She didn't even know the man, right? "I-I will be your new Proctor. Due to us having more contestants than we want, we will be holding preliminary matches. If you wish to back out, now would be the right time to do so."

No one raised their hands at first, much to Naruko's surprise. Her eyes shifted over to the other teams, and landed on Kabuto. The boy looked fine, and he was glaring at his teammates. Kabuto stepped forward and Naru felt the small rise in fear and killer intent, before it vanished as soon as it had appeared. Kabuto's dark haired teammate raised his hand, the red haired one looking away with a sigh. "I'll sit out."

Following that was another hand, this one from one of the Sound Nin. "I'll sit this one out."

He was the one she had kicked out of the tree, and she felt slightly glad she had. He was too scared to compete now. He looked at her, and quickly looked away. She ignored him, focusing on Kabuto again. Finding the whole exchange too forced, Naru barely heard what the Proctor said afterwards. She sniffed, and her eyes narrowed on Kabuto as she pinpointed snakes. The familiar smell it seemed, had been her least favorite animal, and Orochimaru's summon choice. Her head snapped to Hayate when the Proctor coughed again weakly, before pointing up to the flat screen in place of where a wall had been. She sighed, pinching her wrist and scolding herself.

The flat screen gained a vs sign in the middle, and several names began to flicker across the black surface. Naruko guessed that it was randomized, and glanced over to the Hokage. The Old Man was talking with an Anbu with a Silver mask, an Anbu with a gold mask beside him. Her heart picked up pace, and she felt her anxiety spring out of nowhere. "There are an even number of kids, so-"

Hayate paused to cough again and Naru winced. "We will begin by pairing you up with your opponents…"

The Jonin then turned to look at the board, Naru's fingers twitching as she felt a cool but firm weight press on her shoulder. It comforted her, and she looked up as well. "Uzumaki Naruko VS Hyuga Neji."

Naru's lips twitched, and with the boost of confidence from the weight that had vanished from her shoulder, Naru looked at Hayate and smirked. "Oreshizoku Akihane Naruko, Proctor."

Hayate raised a brow at the correction, his own lips twitching slightly as Naru stepped toward the field. Behind her, Sakura smiled and called for her to do her best, leading Sasuke toward the overhangs to watch her match. Naru looked in front of her, facing Neji. He was looking at her strangely, with a mixture of disbelief and displeasure. "Oreshizoku? I was sure that clan was dead."

Naru shook her head and shifted into a semi-familiar stance, much like Sasuke's. "No, not all of them are gone."

She closed her eyes. "And it's about time I stopped hiding what I was anyways."

She opened her eyes, displaying glowing red orbs with three black tomos.

 **Boom! Done. Next chapter will have the rest of the preliminary matches, and I am accepting matches you'd like to see. However, Gaara, Shikimaru, and Shino are going to pass on no matter, as well as Kabuto's teammate. The people in the preliminaries are:**

 **Uzumaki/Oreshizoku Naruko (Matched)**

 **Uchiha Sasuke**

 **Haruno Sakura**

 **Subaku No Gaara**

 **Subaku No Temari**

 **Subaku No Kankuro**

 **Yamanaka Ino**

 **Akimichi Choji**

 **Nara Shikimaru**

 **Rock Lee**

 **Ten Ten**

 **Hyuga Neji (Matched)**

 **Hyuga Hinata**

 **Inuzuka Kiba**

 **Aburame Shino**

 **Yakushi Kabuto**

 **Daten-Shi Ken (Kabuto's Teammate)**

 **Kinuta Dosu**

 **Tsuchi Kin**

 **That's all the characters participating. Thanks for reading, I love all your reviews! I have decided to make the Shippuden part of the story a different story all together BTW! Well bye, have a good day! I have school tomorrow…**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 _ **Chibi Naruko- Naruko meets the Sand Siblings Part I**_

 _Little Naru grinned and chuckled evilly, dropping off a branch as the three brats chasing her disappeared._

" _Finally got rid of Konohamaru…"_

 _She yelped however when she heard someone behind her, turning slowly._

" _Temari, I told you we don't need directions!"_

 _Naru paused, staring at the strange individuals._

 _A girl with sandy blonde hair in two pigtails stood in front of a guy in a black cat-onesie, and a boy with red hair and a murderous aura around him followed._

 _Naru stared at them in mild amusement, before they finally turned to her._

 _The girl stared at her, before she squealed._

" _IT'S SO CUTE!"_

 _Naru raised a brow, before the cat-suit boy fell to his knees, shouting the same thing as his sister._

 _The red head looked up at Naru, who had her head tilted in confusion._

 _The boy's aura seemed to stay behind him, but Naru ignored it, and the two people._

 _She stepped forward, and held out a sucker to the red haired boy._

" _You're looking for the Hokage right? Jiji? I can lead you to him! Take the sucker as a welcome gift to Konoha!"_

 _Gaara's aura melted, and he blushed at the girl holding the sucker in his hand with a confused face._

 _His siblings stared in shock as the little girl dragged Gaara away, shouting-_

" _Red Hair Rocks you know? I'll have to let you meet Kurai! He has Red hair too!"_

 _Later that day Sarutobi was greeted to the sight of an overprotective Sand Nin bending to Naruko's every will._

 _ **Preview**_

 _Naru narrowed her eyes as Sasuke smirk, looking across the ways at the boy beside Kabuto. Their master, a man with black sunglasses and a blue facemask, looked at Ken. Ken seemed to say something to the man, and the rustling of fabric on the man's face told Naru that he had replied. Ken then gripped the handle of his blade, flipping over the railing. He sailed, and rolled to spread the impact over his body, before standing up. Sasuke, not wanting to be showed up by some 'loser', launched himself over the railing. Naru winced as Ino's squeals almost busted everyone's eardrums, Sakura simply telling Sasuke to 'Kick his butt!' Blue eyes narrowed on the boy with red hair. He wore a black one piece suit with a green vest and green leg warmers that Naru figured were weights. Ken's red hair was pulled back into a pony-tail, red and white beads hanging on the ends of two of his bangs that fell out of the bandages holding his hair up. He had two swords, a short sword and a katana, as well as an arrangement of strange kunai along his waist. They were like flying thunder god kunai, only they had two prongs, not three. He had one scroll on his left side, and had a black scarf wrapped around his neck. Naru thought she saw a glint of silver under the scarf, but it was covered before she could be too sure._


	13. XIII Preliminaries Begin

**Hello Readers! This is Scld, and I just wanted to thank you for the awesome support for my story! Christmas break is over, and I didn't get to do as much as I would have wanted, but I hope things will turn out better this month. My birthday is coming soon, and hopefully I can get some cool writing or drawing tools to have fun with. Anyways please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer-Don't own Naruto or its characters. I own Sashiko and those inside the Oreshizoku clan, as well as Mystery Dude and Ken.**

 **Story Dedicated to my complete lack of ability to make small chapters.**

 _ **Previously**_

" _Uzumaki Naruko VS Hyuga Neji."_

 _The Proctor spoke, Naru's lips twitching as she gains a boost of confidence from the weight that had vanished from her shoulder. Naru looked at Hayate and smirked as she corrected him. "Oreshizoku Akihane Naruko, Proctor."_

 _Hayate raised a brow at the correction, his own lips twitching slightly as Naru stepped toward the field. Behind her, Sakura smiled and called for her to do her best, leading Sasuke toward the overhangs to watch her match. Naru looked in front of her, facing Neji. He was looking at her strangely, with a mixture of disbelief and displeasure. "Oreshizoku? I was sure that clan was dead."_

 _Naru shook her head in response to Neji and shifted into a semi-familiar stance, much like Sasuke's. "No, not all of them are gone."_

 _The Jinchuuriki closed her eyes before continuing to speak. "And it's about time I stopped hiding what I was anyways."_

 _She opened her eyes, displaying glowing red orbs with three black tomos._

There was a pocket of silence, and Neji stared at her in shock. She heard a yell and glanced up at the stands to see Sasuke leaning against the railing, his eyes wide. She chuckled, and Hayate cleared his throat, holding back a smirk. _'A Ninja's best tool is the element of surprise. Let's see how good this girl is at using it.'_ He counted, and Neji shifted into his stance once Hayate was nearly finished. "Begin!"

Hayate jumped back from the battle after signaling it to commence. Naru dashed forward with a roundhouse kick aimed at Neji's palm. She shifted her foot at last minute, the toes pointing. Neji cried out in shock when a slice of air blew past his wrist, creating a long deep cut. He retreated, narrowing his eyes on her as she flipped back with a handstand, landing gracefully. Naru twisted back into her stance, and Neji did the same, chakra funneling to his eyes. "You Uchiha are pathetic, nothing more than a pathetic excuse of a clan."

Naru felt rage run through her veins at the Hyuga's words, and the grip returned to her shoulder squeezing tighter. _'Give it your all.'_

At the sound of her voice, Naru nearly jumped. "Your fate is sealed, you will lose."

Neji's voice only furthered her annoyance against the Hyuga, and she imagined her hand touching the one on her shoulder. She relaxed, and dashed at Neji, her palm shooting right past his head as he stared at her in surprise. Her other hand twisted, and curled into a fist. It slammed into his side, and she brought her knee into his chest. She swung her outstretched hand across his shoulder, and more blood poured as he grunted. He regained his footing and sent a flurry of jabs with his fingers at her body. She twisted and her Sharingan continued to spin as she became faster and faster. In reality, while it looked like she was getting stronger, she was actually releasing the weight on her legs and arms with seals.

The Uzumaki made another fist and slammed it into Neji's face, sending him sprawling backwards. She ignored his growl and his dark look that he sent her, instead breathing calmly and twisting into another base stance. Her palms drifted by her scrolls and floated behind them. "You'll lose Uchiha!"

Naru's eyes glinted in the light, and she finally spoke. "Stop saying that if you won't follow through. In case you haven't noticed, your shoulder and arm are bleeding a bit, and you probably have a bruised rib. If you are going to beat me, you'll need more than this Hyuga."

Neji reigned in his anger as she finished speaking, and dashed at her. Her hands swiped forward, and two daggers appeared in them. She gripped them in a backwards grip and dashed at him as well. He went into his Jyuken stance, and she attacked him with a flurry of slices at his arms and torso. He sped up his hands, twisting around her blows and landing some of his own. She felt her chakra points start to close, and readied a lightning seal. Neji's eyes narrowed on the seal as she fueled chakra into it. She surprised the Hyuga however by placing the seal on her arm, right above where he had hit her. She smirked as the chakra flooded into her right arm again, the tag burning out. As it dropped, two extra black lines became visible. They were bold and curved, running along the top and bottom of the seal.

Kakashi watched Naru dash at Neji again after pressing the modified lightning seal on her arm, where he guessed her chakra points were. It was genius really, using lightning seals to charge the chakra points again, and effectively make the Hyuga style useless unless all the chakra points were blocked at once. He smiled behind his mask and book, watching as the little red head sped up, discretely making release signs in order to lower the gravity seals placed on her leg weights. It surprised him that the girl worked with both, as it seemed inconvenient and too much of a hassle.

Naruko however, stated that if she used gravity seals on someone who knew seals, not that many did, she might have them turned against her. The same was true with her weights. It also made someone believe that she only used one when in reality she used both. This gave her an added advantage of surprise against her enemy.

The silver scarecrow was surprised his student had shown her Sharingan finally, and he could tell that Sasuke was as well. Currently, the Uchiha was staring at Naruto's fight in rapt attention, the question of how the hell she had the Sharingan running through his head no doubt. He wouldn't find the answer in Naru's fighting, however.

Kakashi knew first hand that she disguised her emotions. It was a little strange to see the girl smiling so much, however, and the light feeling in his stomach every time he saw that seal on her neck confused him. The fact that the seal had felt the same as when he had felt that hand on him by the memorial did little to help. Sighing, he focused back on Naruko, only to find her holding her katana to Neji's neck with her right hand, her left offered to the Hyuga in a gesture of sportsmanship.

Naru's breathing was slightly labored as she spun around Neji's hand, slamming the side and palm of her hand to his pressure points. His arm fell and he looked at her for a moment. The distraction was exactly what she needed, however, and seconds later her palm and fingertips pressed into the firm flesh on his chest and shoulders. He fell back, his arms hanging almost uselessly. His arms were still able to move, but it was sluggish and made it easy to see what he planned to do. She finally reached down to her legs, touching the weights there. She then dragged her kunai through the lace on the back, letting them fall. They made small indentations, Neji's eyes widening. "Y-You used seals…"

Naru merely appeared in front of him in a burst of speed instead of answering with words, punching him into the ground. She had dropped her kunai, and her hand swung forward, unsealing a katana as her hand swept by the scroll on her side. There was a moment of silence, her blade pressed to his neck, her other hand extended. Her hair fell over her Sharingan as it went back to her normal blue. "It's up to you to decide Neji, whether you take my hand or don't. You are in control, not fate." The pale eyes stared into Naru's own, and his teeth ground together as he screamed at her. "You don't understand me!"

Naru only scoffed and replied without any emotion. "I understand better than anyone, asshole. My parents are dead, my sister was killed before my eyes, the village I protect hates my guts…" She sighed, and looked at the Hokage as emotion filled her voice. "The man I admired betrayed me." She could see Sarutobi's shoulders tense, and her blue eyes caught Neji's white ones. She continued to let out words expressing exactly what he needed to hear.

"But I am alive, I fight for this hell anyways. I strive and survive. I have fun and I _live_. I grow stronger and make friends and mistakes. I make decisions, I mold my future. Fate doesn't, fate isn't responsible for any of that. I am."

 _l~~~~l_

White hair gently rolled in the soft breeze that spread through the branched of the leaves, and onto the path. The hair was held away from its owner's face by a headband with the kanji for oil engraved into the top placed onto a metal plate framing his face. The man looked old, however, he held himself with a certain degree of power that few could achieve. A soft smile spread of Jiraya's lips as he gazed fondly at the gates of Konoha, rising up before him as he walked down the path. "As beautiful as ever. Konoha is a sight to behold, even after all these years."

The looming gates grew closer, allowing a better view of the buildings within, and the large mountain with the engraved faces of past and present Hokage. The yellow and grey roofs melded with the red and green color scheme the village seemed to have, leading all the way up to the main building. In the middle of the village stood a large red circular building, the kanji for Fire written clearly in black paint. Jiraiya chuckled softly in nostalgia, a little girl with red hair and blue eyes flashing in his mind. His smile turned sad as he remembered the reports Sarutobi had given him on the girl, and the latest letter that had made Jiraya come home. Sarutobi had ordered his immediate return the year Naruko graduated, however, he was still behind schedule.

Taking another breath in so he could view the buildings before him, he allowed his mind to wander back to that redhead. 'Naruko, no Akihane, I can't wait to see what a fine woman you've become. I hope you won't be too mad at me…For not being there for you or Sashiko.' Content, for now, he walked passed the gates, the two ninjas on guard shooting up. They looked at Jiraiya in awe, eyes wide. "J-Jiraya-San, you've returned!" He nodded to the Chunin in a customary gesture, before making his way to the Hokage Tower.

 _l~~~~l_

Naru yawned softly, leaning back against the catwalk railing, her eyes drifting down the line. Neji's eyes widened when he was caught staring, and he immediately turned away from the redhead, earning a sly smirk from her as she also turned to the battle before them.

Neji, for once in his life, hadn't let fate rule him. She was sure she wouldn't have killed him anyways, but the stubborn asshole had at least made the match easier. She had still won the match, however, the stick-up Neji's ass had gotten considerably shorter. He still wouldn't speak to her or remove his 'I'm an asshole but still better than you' attitude. Sasuke had also attacked her with questions as soon as she had been cleared to go to the catwalk, resulting in avoiding him with sarcastic remarks. One such conversation went a little like this-

 _Naruko sighed as she walked up to her team, a little pissed off at Neji for still disrespecting her after she beat him, even if he had apologized for calling her weak, in a way. He'd deny it, that much Naru knew. A headache grew in her temples as blue met black, a soft groan escaping her lips. "What do you want Uchiha Bastard?"_

 _Sasuke's eyebrow twitched as Naruko spoke to him in an almost lazy tone, even yawning to add effect. He growled and grabbed her shirt collar as he yelled at her. "What the hell was that Dobe?! How do you have the Sharingan…?!"_

 _Naru let loose a snarky retort, as well as a slightly creepy too happy smile. "Well,…you see there were this girl and this Jutsu, and bam, I turned into a snarky red-eye bastard like you when they worked together!"_

She hadn't regretted the comment, especially when it had caused Kiba and Asuma to chuckle by them. It also made the white chakra do a sort of shocking sensation that left Naru a little weirded out, and giddy. Shaking her head to clear the fading memory of laughter, _which_ couldn't have been there mind you, Naru focused on the fight. Below her Shikamaru was fighting with the sound Kunoichi that Naru had almost scalped. She chuckled at the memory, causing several shivers to run down the woman's spine.

Kin Tsuchi tried to shrug the feeling away as she told Shikamaru about her Genjutsu. _'I feel like someone is laughing at me…'_

The thoughts of the Kunoichi were quite true.

Back on the catwalk, Kakashi sweat dropped at Naru's creepy and scary chuckling, wondering if he should run. He looked over to the Hokage booth, at Sarutobi. He mouthed out a set of words as Naru's chuckling grew too soft whispers of pain. 'Save me!'

Sakura stepped away from her teammate, looking scared. Sasuke also sidestepped further away, looking at Naru like she was a murderous psychopath that pissed in his cheerios after killing Itachi with a bubble gun(Really weirded out, frightened, and annoyed.) They all swore that a purple aura surrounded her as she called out to Shikimaru's opponent, Kin Tsuchi. "Pssst! Nice Haircut Kinney!"

The woman froze at the sound of Naru's voice, sweating bullets. No one thought about the curse mark, however, even if that wasn't the real reason for the mysterious aura surrounding Naru in a frenzy.

Sarutobi merely sweat dropped, sighing as Minato frowned. He couldn't see why everyone was suddenly backing away from Naru, she had just made a comment on the Sound Kunoichi's horribly cut hair. Tobirama rolled his eyes behind his mask at Minato's blatant ignorance to his daughter's maniac like actions.

Shikamaru grumbled softly as he noticed Naruko's _peculiar_ aura slowly creeping into the arena. He used the distraction to his advantage, his shadow skimming along the line of the string. It connected to Kin Tsuchi, which made Shikamaru let out a smirk. "Woman, always troublesome…"

Naru raised a brow at him, her aura fading as Shikamaru tilted his head back, ignoring the woman before him as she gained a smug look. Her head smashed into the wall behind her, and Shikamaru released his jutsu so she could fall. He moved himself into a standing position, glancing up ward at Naruko. The red haired girl was waving at the unconscious form of Kin Tsuchi as she was hauled off to the med bay by several medical ninja. "Winner, Nara Shikamaru."

Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes again, heading up the catwalk as soon as he was allowed. On his way there, his path was blocked by a smirking Naru, an evil glint in her eyes. "Nicely done Shika, and you didn't die."

Naruko stated the question in a matter-of-fact tone, before turning back to the board to see who would be called next. The Nara's eyebrow twisted upward, and he felt his curiosity grow as he continued toward his team. _'Didn't die? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'_

Face contorted under the thoughts, Shikamaru let out a groan in agitation. "Troublesome…"

The Nara looked to the side, mumbling out his most famous word.

Naruto was surprised when a new name popped up on the flat screen, followed by the name of that person's opponent. "Doten-Shi Ken Vs Uchiha Sasuke."

Naru narrowed her eyes as Sasuke smirk, looking across the ways at the boy beside Kabuto. Their master, a man with black sunglasses and a blue facemask, looked at Ken. Ken seemed to say something to the man, and the rustling of fabric on the man's face told Naru that he had replied.

Ken then gripped the handle of his blade, flipping over the railing. He sailed, and rolled to spread the impact over his body, before standing up. Sasuke, not wanting to be showed up by some 'loser', launched himself over the railing. Naru winced as Ino's squeals almost busted everyone's eardrums, Sakura simply telling Sasuke to 'Kick his butt!' Blue eyes narrowed on the boy with red hair. He wore a black one piece suit with a green vest and green leg warmers that Naru figured were weights.

Ken's red hair was pulled back into a pony-tail, red and white beads hanging on the ends of two of his bangs that fell out of the bandages holding his hair up. He had two swords, a short sword and a katana, as well as an arrangement of strange kunai along his waist. They were like flying thunder god kunai, only they had two prongs, not three. He had one scroll on his left side, and had a black scarf wrapped around his neck. Naru thought she saw a glint of silver under the scarf, but it was covered before she could be too sure.

"Uchiha Sasuke…It seems that a lot of people hold you in a high esteem."

Ken stared at Sasuke blankly as the bastard smirked cockily. "Comes with the abilities."

Ken sighed, and glanced over at the proctor. "You can count now. I don't want to waste my chakra just standing here."

The boy's nonchalancy seemed a little too forced to those with a trained eye, and inwardly, Ken was a little pissed. He had hoped to fight someone who wouldn't underestimate him, like the Uchiha's teammate, one of the Sand Nin, or even the Sound Nin. Of course, he couldn't get everything he wanted. Clearing his mind, his feet inched out, and his body relaxed. His hands almost fell limp at his sides, and his head tilted toward the Uchiha, blocking the glare of one of the florescent lights from his vision. "Very well…You may begin!"

After calling the start, Hayate jumped backwards to allow the boys maximum room for their fight. Sasuke was the first to attack, charging at Ken with a kunai. Ken's eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt chakra rush through his body. His eyes, going from a murky green to an olive, suddenly became alight with a fiery abandon. He sidestepped the Uchiha's first jab, and ducked under a round house kick. His arm shot forward, taking the brunt of the raven's punch. Ken then twisted, pulling Sasuke downward. He used the momentum against Sasuke, surprising the Uchiha Heir. Ken's combat boots, a sleek lightweight black design, pressed onto the Heir's right shoulder. Ken flew upward, flipping so he landed on the wall. His chakra gripped the surface, his green eyes meeting enraged iris ones. "Dammit…"

Sasuke growled out, tossing several kunai at Ken. Ken merely swiped his own from his belt, his hand shooting upward. The specialty kunai sailed at a curve, the two prongs catching the finger holds at the end of Sasuke's. All but one lone kunai hit the wall, Ken tilting his head to dodge the last. His lips twitched downward in a frown as Sasuke charged him again. His eyes scanned Sasuke, lingering on his Uchiha crest, before he lifted his hands to form signs.

Naru kept her gaze on the red haired boy, not letting any emotion or reaction show up until the boy began forming hand signs. He was fast, faster than Naru but below average Chunin speed. It wasn't his speed or his reflexes that surprised Naru however, but two of the symbols he used. "Shit…"

For once, the female red head felt sorry for the Uchiha bastard.

"15 Seals Technique, Steal Arsenal!"

Ken yelled out, his skin turning shimmery. Sasuke's fist smacked straight into Ken's chest, before the boy reared back in shock. His hand had made a sickening crack when it had hit the surface of Ken's chest, right against the boy's vest. Ken's eye twitched in annoyance as the Uchiha gained a pissed off look, before he slammed his black gloved fist right into Sasuke's shoulder. A pop rang through the arena as Sasuke grunted, springing back as he grit his teeth in pain. Ken shifted his stance into a loose standard earth style.

Kakashi's eye narrowed on the red haired boy, wondering how he had just sprained Sasuke's wrist and popped his shoulder out of place without putting much force into his hits. "Steal Arsenal…" Kakashi turned his eye toward Naruko, Sakura doing the same. Sakura was obviously confused as well, and stated as much to Naru. "I-isn't that like the geyser field thingy you used? I-I thought that was yours…"

Naru sighed at the girl's confused face, her gaze directed mainly at Sasuke and Ken's fight. "The Number Seals Style is open to anyone who has a vast knowledge of hand signs and how chakra works. It also shows your rank in Chakra control, and is a more basic element of Jutsu for some. The amount of seals you have mastered can show your rank and expertise in the jutsu. I am not that good, seeing as I can only go up to 30 seals at most. However, just because you have mastered a 40 seal jutsu, doesn't mean you can master everything under that. Unlike elemental techniques, Seal Techniques are vastly different. Mostly, they are summoner techniques."

Naru paused before continuing, wincing as Sasuke let out another grunt once Ken landed a hit. The two had started Taijutsu again, and Sasuke was losing. "Steal Arsenal summons a layer of strong chakra, just like steal only practically invisible, around the user. If you look closely you can see the shimmering chakra around Ken."

Kakashi had seen that, and now it made more sense as to how the boy was dealing more damage to his student. "O-Okay…but just because he does that, doesn't mean Sasuke-Kun will lose, right?"

Naru blew out air in response to Sakura, her muscles tightening as Sasuke flew into the wall opposite to them. He groaned but walked back forward, Ken standing before him. Ken started flashing through hand signs again, Naru's eyes closing. "Sasuke underestimated him, so he will lose. I would too."

Ken stepped back as he channeled his chakra into his hands and mouth, flowing through hand signs. "35 Seals Technique, Earth's Roar!"

A small tanned hand slammed into the ground as Doten-Shi yelled out the name of his jutsu, Sasuke's eyes going wide. Sasuke tried to move, however Ken has tossed a kunai straight into the fabric by his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. The ground beneath Sasuke began to shake, and soon, a large crater formed beneath the Uchiha. Rocks jutted up, encasing Sasuke slowly from two feet outwards. It looked as though the earth would eat the boy whole. Ken stood, and turned away. He wiped his forehead with a sigh, Sasuke shouting at him. "Don't run away from me!"

Ken scowled and looked back at the Uchiha with a deadpanned stare. "Shut him up…"

Sasuke's eyes grew alight with anger, just as the earth spikes shot forward, encasing the teen. The Proctor's eyes widened momentarily, before the ground trembled again. Ken had already made his way to the proctor when it exploded outwards. The shockwave of sound made everyone with even slightly heightened hearing wince, and nearly deaphened Naruko, Kakashi, and Kiba. Dust rained down on the field, followed by a figure in a dirty blue shirt. Sasuke landed right beside the proctor, out cold. "I believe that means I win…"

Ken turned away, hands moving behind his head. Naru's eyes caught the leaf symbol engraved on the metal plates when she finally opened her eyes. She wondered where his headband was, or if he had one. However, Sakura rushing down to their teammate distracted her from dwelling on the thought any further.

Naru flipped over the railing, landing a couple feet from Sasuke. Medics rushed out as Naru walked over to Sasuke. She crouched and checked his injuries briskly, Sakura panting as she dropped beside her teammates. She too checked on Sasuke with worry displayed on her features.

"Uzumaki."

Naru's head shot up, her blue eyes meeting swamp green. Ken had his head tilted and turned backward to see her, his body bent slightly to the side. "Doten-Shi."

Ken's lips twitched upward, and he seemed amused at her response. She felt her seal pulse, and was confused when his eyes shifted to the side of her face, nearing her covered curse mark, before going back to her face. She pushed the thoughts of him being able to see through the disguisement seal aside, knowing it was a pretty hard seal to see through. "Looks like we get to fight later. I hope you don't disappoint me like your teammate did."

With that, Ken turned and walked away from the scene. Naru barely heard Hayate announce Ken as the winner, before she was heading back up to her sensei with Sakura. She felt her lips twitch up into a smirk as she thought of fighting the boy, her eyes looking over to where he was. He was leaning back against the railing, head turned in her direction. He caught her gaze, and she nodded to him discretely. His eyes seemed to lighten a fraction, before he turned his gaze to the screen. She turned hers too, and chuckled at the pairing.

"Inuzuka Kiba Vs Yamanaka Ino. Would both competitors please come down to the arena."

 **Yay! This chapter was also longer, but I was like, 'SCREW THE OUTLINE!' (Not completely…) So yeah…extra chapter…going to stop at 21(AN:I actually believed this…[6/10 Update])…My OCD(What little I do have) will murder me for such a detail…but oh well. I got this chapter published, and I hope you enjoyed. I sure did while writing this, even if I am sick of doing this chapter. 4k words will have to do friends.**

 **Thank you to those who have followed and/or favorited my story, it means a lot to me! Being able to write for fun and knowing others enjoy it is a huge confidence booster. School is starting up again tomorrow, and I have another story to work on now. I may shorten updates to once a month, but I will work my hardest to get you at least one.**

 **The new story is called A Different Path. It is an adopted fic from Vangran(Check them out!) with a couple tweaks into the plot. It is a FemNaru and slightly Dark Naru fic, and will still mention the Oreshizoku clans. Minato and Kushina are alive, btw! Whelp enough spoilers, thank you for reading!**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

(Decided to switch out Chibi Naruto this chapter for something…different.)

 _ **Naruto Omake Theatre-Now For Something Different**_

 _Naruko and Sasuke sit at a pine desk in front of several cameras, a crew doing Sasuke's makeup as Naruto grumbles, allowing several crew men to do her hair._

" _We're going live in 5 seconds!"_

 _An unknown voice calls out, and the crew clears the area, Sasuke smirking as Naruko smiles brightly. The camera activates, and the scene plays on._

" _Hello Konoha, welcome to your daily Anime Broadcast for the Five Elemental Nations. I am your host Naruko Uzumaki, and this is my partner Sasuke Uchiha!"_

 _Sasuke nods to the camera, girlish squeals echoing around the five elemental nations. Naruko rolls her eyes and turns her attention to the report before her._

" _Breaking news, Orochimaru had taken interest in our very own Sasuke Uchiha, and seeks to corrupt his puny mind!"_

 _Sasuke turns sharply to Naruko, glaring._

" _Shut up dobe, that is not what the script says!"_

 _Ignoring her partner, Naru turns to the left._

" _Gaara, weather is all yours!"_

 _The scene switches to an awkwardly shifting Gaara, whom blinks at the camera before stoically replying, his black suit and tie having little sand granules shifting around it._

" _The weather for Fire Country will be mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Wind Country will be on Sandstorm watch, Rock Country and Lightning Country are on Heavy Wind alerts, and Mist Country is expecting flooding, while Rain country is seeing no change in weather."_

 _The scene switched back to Naruko and Sasuke, Sasuke twitching behind Naruko as she smiles._

" _In more recent news, The Chunin exams have begun, Pranks gone too far, the ultimate sandcastle, and Fuinjutsu may be linked to beyond the grave! Now tuning to our field reporter in Konohagakure, Sakura Haruno, where she is addressing Hiruzen Sarutobi about the recent pranks and the Chunin Exams."_

" _Thank you very much Naruko! Now Hokage-Sama, how are the Chunin Exams faring?"_

 _Sarutobi chuckles softly, facing the camera with a closed-eye smile._

" _Fairly good, our rookie nine have all made it to the preliminary matches, despite the appearance of Orochimaru."_

 _Sakura shivers in disgust._

" _Alright…Now tell us about the recent pranks in the area?"_

 _Sarutobi straightens, looking into the camera._

" _Ahh yes. Our residential pranker seems to have come out of hibernation. Recently there was the Hokage monument prank, where the faces on the Hokage monument were vandalized-"_

 _Sarutobi is cut off by an anguished cry in the background, and the door to the Hokage office slamming open. Kakashi Hatake in all his glory stands before the cameras, fidgeting._

" _MY ICHA ICHA IS MISSING!"_

 _His cry and utter breakdown in front of the camera is cut off, going back to Naruko, whom is whacking Sasuke over the head with a newspaper._

" _Hehe…Serves you right pervert! Tune in Next time folks, here on your daily Anime Broadcast! Sorry it was cut short, but I have some books to burn…hehe."_

 _The sobs of Kakashi can be heard all the way in the studio, even after the cameras are turned off._

 **Preview**

 _The white haired man looked to the floor, clenching his fists. "I-I wanted to tell him…but the Council forbade it. They threatened yours and Sashiko's lives if I said anything. I'm sorry Naruko, I'm sorry I never was the Grandfather of Godfather you needed. But I'm here now, and I want to make it up to you. Just please…learn to forgive me. Even if you can't stand me, please just forgive me." Naru's blue eyes looked at the man's golden ones, and she felt the weight on her heart vanish as she spoke. "Very well…I'll forgive you. You just have to convince me to like you, Ero-Senin." She smirked at the last bit, taking a small pleasure as the man stared at her, lips flopping up and down as he tried to answer. Finally, he settled for a simple scolding. "You Gaki! Respect your elders!"_


	14. XIV Preliminaries End

_**Previously**_

" _Uzumaki." Naru's head shot up, her blue eyes meeting swamp green. Ken had his head tilted and turned backward to see her, his body bent slightly to the side. "Doten-Shi."_

 _Ken's lips twitched upward, and he seemed amused at her response. She felt her seal pulse, and was confused when his eyes shifted to the side of her face, nearing her covered curse mark, before going back to her face. She pushed the thoughts of him being able to see through the disguisement seal aside, knowing it was a pretty hard seal to see through. "Looks like we get to fight later. I hope you don't disappoint me like your teammate did."_

 _With that, Ken turned and walked away from the scene. She barely heard Hayate announce Ken as the winner before she was heading back up to her sensei with Sakura. She felt her lips twitch up into a smirk as she thought of fighting the boy, her eyes looking over to where he was. He was leaning back against the railing, head turned in her direction. He caught her gaze, and she nodded to him discretely. His eyes seemed to lighten a fraction, before he turned his gaze to the screen. She turned hers too, and chuckled at the pairing._

" _Inuzuka Kiba Vs Yamanaka Ino. Would both competitors please come down to the arena."_

Ino scowled, Kiba groaning as he glared over at Ino, walking toward the steps. "I have to fight a girl? What the hell, this won't even be a challenge!"

Ino growled at Kiba, pissed off by his remark. Both of the Genin stepped onto the floor, in front of one another. Kiba had a relaxed and cocky expression, Ino shaking as she clenched her fists. "Shut up dog breath! I should be the one complaining, I'd rather just fight the puppy!"

Ino shouted at Kiba, earning sighs from several of the Jonin Instructors, as well as her teammates and Naruko. "Shut up, both of you!"

Naru silenced them with her shout, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. The proctor, nodding toward Naru in thanks, turned toward the two Genin as he coughed into his fist. Clearing his throat, he raised his hand. "Alright, if both competitors are ready…" He glanced to the side after speaking, dragging his hand down as he jumped backward. "Begin!"

Kiba was the first to attack, charging at Ino after setting Akamaru on the ground. Ino yelped and dove to the side, dodging Kiba's fist. She turned, gripping her Kunai before tossing it at Kiba. The boy skid to a stop, and groaned when a Kunai scraped his back, twisting in time to dodge the second.

Red bangs fell over green eyes as they observed the Two Konoha Nin throw weapons at each other and utilize explosive tags. He was far from impressed with the Leaf's apparent abilities, his interest only peaked for the first match and Ken's. His eyes switched to the spot where the red head stood. He was leaning back against the railing, head tilted to see the match as he spoke to Kabuto about pressure points and clan abilities. The boy was a spitting image of his sensei, as the man would hope since they were in deed related.

Ken's eyes then drifted to the Hokage booth, where the gold Anbu and the Raven Anbu were. He felt his lips twitch, amused that they hadn't realized exactly who his son was. Of course his son's paired necklace was hidden, the second piece to his own. The fight from earlier had only been a distraction for Orochimaru so he could attack the Uchiha without a problem. Now Orochimaru stood behind his team of Genin, well two of them, watching the match with barely masked boredom. Shaking his head, the green eyed instructor under disguise looked toward the other balcony, easily spotting the only red headed female leaning on the wall, a soft smile on her lips. His eyes went to the white chakra behind her, green eyes glowing as intricate black patterns spiraled through them. "She must have no idea...that pure chakra."

Doten-Shi spoke so softly that he was sure no one heard him, however his son's gaze turned toward him. "Father, did you notice it?"

Kabuto glanced at them both, frowning when his 'sensei' only nodded instead of giving a clear answer to Ken.

Ken was only a little surprised at his father, his sensei's, remark. He too had noticed the pure chakra behind Naruko Oreshizoku, glamoured by a rune. The seal was one he had seen before, one that warded malicious intent and cycled good. His mother had put the same mark on him when she had died. He paused as a girl with blue hair and blue eyes looked at him from beside Naru. She smiled softly and held a finger to her lips, eyes filled with sadness. She disappeared just as soon as he blinked, and he felt a smile tug at his lips. Yah, he knew that seal all too well. It was just sad that Naru didn't know exactly how special that seal was.

Kiba was getting tired on Ino's screaming and bitching. Grinding his teeth together in annoyance, a bad habit if his, he told as much to Akamaru. "That's it...I don't care if you're a girl you just piss me off. You aren't even a challenge!"

Kiba dropped to all fours, Akamaru hoping on his back. "Man beast clone!"

Kiba yelled out, smoke surrounding Akamaru as the transformation took place. The smoke cleared to reveal two Kiba's growling in a feral tone. Ino shrunk back as they charged at her, bringing up dust in their wake. himself and restarted his attack, the weapons bouncing harmlessly off his spinning body. soon as she could. He quickly regaineThe actual Kiba smirked, and announced his attack as he began to spin. "Fang over Fang!"

Transformed Akamaru followed suit, both of them winding as they slammed down on the blonde, electing several screams from her. Kiba flinched at the volume of the witch's voice, losing concentration. This then made him slam into the wall, Ino tossing kunai as soon as she could. He quickly regained himself and restarted his attack, the weapons bouncing harmlessly off his spinning body.

Minato's eyes narrowed as he spotted Kabuto's Leaf team chatting, or more specifically their Sensei and Doten-Shi. The boy was a strange one, and he was only three years older than Naru. He was also the only other red head that Sarutobi knew of in Konoha, however Ken had dyed his hair on several occasions and when he had first met the boy he had blue hair, so it was a stretch to think of him as an Uzumaki.

Minato felt his heart clench as he thought of the boy's mother, one of the best special Jonin of her day. She had been murdered in cold blood when she was on leave, right in front of her son. The boy's father had left long before the two had settled into Konoha, and this left Ken alone. It also drew a pair of twins to be interested in the boy. He doubted that Ken still remembered either of the children, either of Michiko's twin children. They had only brought the boy to his attention and asked him to help the poor boy, just before the Kyuubi attack.

At the thought of that night, Minato's gaze turned back to his daughter, eyes softening. He knew she was still mad, knew she didn't want to deal with him, but he felt compelled to go say something. Sighing, he turned his gaze down to the match, just in time to watch as smoke filled the arena. He sweat dropped behind his mask as he heard and sensed both of the two Genin chakra's lower significantly. _'They seriously-'_

The smoke soon cleared, Hayate walking over to the scene. He was met with the soft yips of Akamaru as the pup tried to wake his master, and the groan of pain drifting from both of the contestants. A huge red welt was on both of their foreheads, and neither were in any shape to continue. Hayate sighed and coughed into his fist, grunting. "The match ends in a draw…"

Shino sighed, while Naru shook her head. Kurenai groaned, and Asuma face palmed at the outcome of the match. Neither won, both had lost the match. "Well…that was kind of sad."

Naru blinked and turned to Sakura as she spoke. Kakashi raised a brow and looked at the girl. "Isn't Ino your friend?" Sakura paused for a moment, contemplating as the medics entered the arena to take both of the Genin away. "Yah but…She doesn't take it seriously…She needs Naru to yell at her I guess."

Naru's cheeks reddened and she looked away as Kakashi gave them both a confused look. "Look I just said what I believed, okay! And anyways you still don't take your training as seriously as you need to."

Sakura shrunk as Naru accused her, chuckling shamelessly. "S-Sorry Naru…"

The pink haired girl slowly inched behind the Scarecrow beside her as Naru's hand and eyebrow twitched, fingers close to touching her tags. "Oh?"

Kakashi rubbed his head as the other sensei's looked at the group in slight shock. "Now Naru…not here."

Naru scowled but complied, instead turning to look at the big screen in order to see the matchups. "Well what do you know Sakura, looks like you get to prove you are serious about your training."

Sakura was about to ask why, when Hayate spoke up. "Will Haruno Sakura and Hyuga Hinata please come down to the arena?"

Hinata's purple eyes widened, and she looked down the railing, spying Sakura as the pinkette yelped. "W-What?! Naru dammit did you jinx me!?"

Naru only grabbed one of her tags, making the banshee sweat. "S-Sasuke still hasn't recovered s-so can't they ju-"

Naru held up the tag and began to channel her chakra, Sakura turning and running down the catwalk. Naru smirked, removing her chakra from the tag marked with the kanji for 'T'. Kakashi shivered, speaking to the red head. Naru scowled and promptly turned to the arena. It was strange to see the red head so lively, and not snapping at everyone barely grating her nerves. It was nice for the Hyuga though, and she felt her admiration for the Uzumaki grow. Clenching her fists, she turned and started toward the end of the Catwalk. From behind her, Shino and Kurenai looked at her in apprehension, both worried but trusting her to be able to fight against the Banshee.

Hinata finally reached the middle of the arena, blushing slightly when Sakura nodded to her, trying to hide from Naru's stare from up above. "Come on both of you! You better not hold back, I don't want another draw!"

Hinata paused as she heard those words, the Proctor stepping forward. "Alright, if both Genin are ready…"

Sakura grinned and reached into her kunai pouch, her short hair falling over her eyes as she drew out two gloves. "One moment and I will be."

Sakura pulled her hands through the black plated fabric, Hinata readying her hands into the seal sign. "I am ready…"

The Pinkette's voice didn't shake which surprised several people. "Don't be a disappointment Hyuga, I may not be good but I still don't want to beat up a weakling. Naru will also use her seals on me if I don't give it my all…So its best you give it your all as well."

Hinata paused to glance up at the red head being mentioned, the blush on her cheeks growing. The image of the formerly blonde girl training her heart out flashed through Hinata's open mind. "A-agreed."

Hayate smiled, and readied himself to jump back. "3…2…1…Start!"

Hayate let his arm arch down and jumped back, Hinata activating her Byakugan. Sakura didn't waste any time dashing forward. She swung her fist, aiming straight for Hinata's face. Hinata however had other plans, and moved her arms, bringing her palm up in order to guide Sakura's punch to the side. Sakura's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing. She growled out in anger and aimed her other fist. Hinata quickly dodged, shifting her stance to a gentle fist stance. Her hands shot forward, her left palm, the one not held against Sakura's fist, slammed into the pinkette's side. Sakura grunted and flipped backwards, managing to kick Hinata in the jaw. Hinata stepped backwards, leaving Sakura to hold her side. The girl's hand glowed green, healing the mark on her side. "Heh…Naru's seals hurt more."

Hinata's eyes narrowed on Sakura's fists, the chakra gathering in them refined in order to spread outward and increase the girl's strength. It still wasn't perfect, probably the reason for the gloves, but it was enough to make Hinata warry. Both of the girls were close combat type Kunoichi, which meant that it was dangerous for both of them to enter combat with the other. However, Hinata miscalculated Sakura's limit of arsenal.

Sakura began to funnel some chakra to her hands again, reaching down to her pouch. She tugged out a Kunai with a tag on it, tossing it directly at Hinata. The Hyuga was quick to dodge and escape to the side. Sakura grinned, just as the kunai hit the wall behind Hinata. "Nice dodge."

Kakashi looked down at Sakura's battle, and felt himself smile. The tag attached the kunai that his student had thrown was one he was vaguely familiar with. And since Hinata couldn't make solid clones or perform Kawarimi, it would make it harder to avoid getting trapped in that dammed seal array if Sakura played her cards right.

Sakura dashed toward Hinata again, who had taken another stance in order to defend against Sakura's attacks and dodge properly when needed. She watched the movements of the pink haired Banshee, shifting to the side as Sakura aimed a kick to her face. Hinata launched a jab to Sakura's arm, but was blocked by Sakura's fist. They then ensued in more vigorous hand-to-hand combat, blocking, dodging, swiping, and simply giving whatever they had to the other. However, too intently focused on the fight at hand, Hinata was unable to notice as Sakura placed kunai around the arena, tags rustling against the furry of both of the Kunoichis' attacks.

Sakura panted heavily and finally parted from the violet haired Hyuga, backing up a couple steps as the other girl also fought to catch her breath. Sakura grunted when she felt pain in her right shoulder, lifting her left arm to the spot as green chakra surrounded her hand. Her stamina still needed work it seemed, and she also needed to expand her chakra supply. Faintly she cataloged the state of the arena, taking in two new holes left in the stone floor, as well as the tagged kunai forming a square missing one point around the Hyuga standing before her.

Sakura felt her lips twitch, Hinata's eyes narrowing as Sakura pulled out another Kunai. Hinata relaxed her stance a bit so she could move to dodge, but was instead shocked when Sakura threw the seal to her feet. "Four Seal Technique…"

Sakura channeled chakra into her feet, directly into the tag before her. "Whirlpool Barrier!"

Up in the stands, Naru grinned as she watched Sakura perform the sealing array both of them had worked on with Kakashi's help. It was more advanced than the binding seal, and changed the number of tags to match the chakra of the prisoner. Two to Four tags for a Genin, three to eight tags for a Chunin, and nine to fifteen tags for a Jonin, however the success rate went down the more tags involved. Still, Sakura had planned well for her battle. Naru might even dare to say she's impressed with how far her banshee teammate has gone.

Hinata tried to get out of the barrier area, however she only succeeded in rebounding off of a solid red barrier. The chakra fluctuated, and Sakura grunted softly as she fueled a bit more chakra into the barrier to strengthen it. "Forfeit…" Sakura pulled out another tag, this one a lightning tag. It was a low charge, but it was enough to knock out the Hyuga. "Or I will knock you out."

Hinata looked at Sakura in slight shock, the Pinkette only smiling at the purple haired girl. Pausing softly, Hinata raised her hand. "I f-forfeit…"

Hayate paus.. at Sakura in slight shock, the Pinkette only smiling at the purple haired girl. Pausing softly, Hinata raised hered for a moment before calling out. "Haruno Sakura is the winner!"

Sakura dropped the barrier, panting heavily as Hinata walked over to her. Blushing a bit more, Hinata offered her hand to Sakura, as well as some healing cream. "H-here…"

Sakura looked up at the girl in slight shock. Hinata shifted awkwardly, before Sakura accepted her hand. "T-thanks…" She also took the healing cream, earning her a smile from Hinata. "Nice job winning, I-I mean it was N-Naru's seals but…W-Well."

The girl shrunk a bit, before yelping in shock as Sakura hugged her. "Thanks Hinata! And yah the tags aren't mine. Thanks Naruko!"

Naru only shook her head with a smile, and pointed behind Sakura. Sakura raised and brow, turning. Her eyes widened when she saw Sasuke standing by the medic doors, eyes slightly shocked. Embarrassment clouded her features, but she held it back and waved at the Uchiha. "Hey Sasuke-Kun!"

Hayate cleared his throat however, both girls jumping, before excuses themselves. They ran up to the catwalk, Sasuke heading to the overhang, his eyes moving toward Ken's spot. He grit his teeth, but turned away from the boy. He felt himself shake, since he knew that Naruko, and now Sakura, _Sakura_ , had passed their matches. He clenched his fist, but relaxed some when he came beside his teammates. His gaze landed on Naru, and he ignored Sakura as she tried to ask him what he thought of her match. "Naruko."

Naru looked at the Uchiha Heir, eyes darkening as she noticed his look. "I…I want your help…With those Jutsu, the Seal Style. I want you to…to teach me."

Naru stared at the Uchiha for a moment, before turning away. "Another match is starting…"

Sasuke's fists clenched harder and he withheld the urge to yell at his teammate. Instead, he flinched when he felt a gloved hand on his shoulder. He looked up, his dark iris eyes meeting one similarly colored eye. "Wait till the end of the Preliminaries Sasuke."

Sasuke merely shrugged the hand away, looking toward the arena.

Hayate looked toward the big screen, sighing gently as he called out. "Yakushi Kabuto Vs Kinuta Dosu."

Kabuto paused before hopping down onto the field, his opponent opting to instead walk down the steps. Hayate stepped a bit further back as the two met at the center, looking at them both. Kabuto pushed his glasses up, a determined look on his face. Dosu said nothing, opting instead to glare at the proctor and at the silver haired Leaf nin. "Very well, if you are both ready…"

Both of the Ninja nodded, Hayate sighing softly as he started coughing. After his fit was over he spoke. "Very well, 3…2…1…"

Hayate jumped back and yelled out. "Start!"

Kabuto was quick to whip out a kunai, launching it right at Dosu. Dosu moved his arm upward and swiftly deflected the kunai off his silver plated arm. "You're going to have to do better than that."

I~~~~I

The gate guards shot upward when they saw the legend walking through the gates. His white hair fell down over his back, his eyes looking over the village. "Good to be back…"

The guards were slightly slack jawed as they looked at Jiraya of the Sannin, his headband displaying the kanji for oil, marking him as a toad summoner. The man turned to the gate guards and nodded to them, smirking softly. "Are the Chunin Exams in session right now?"

I~~~~I

Kabuto panted gently, standing in front of Dosu. Said Sound Nin was stuck between the wall and the Medic Nin, Kabuto's face twisting as he touched his ear, which was bleeding. "Huh…How stupid."

Sighing, Kabuto raised his hand, chuckling softly as he spoke out. "I forfeit...I am running out of chakra and can't hear very well. It'd be unwise to continue in this state."

Hayate sighed but accepted the explanation, turning to the Hokage box. "Winner, Kinuta Dosu."

Naru's eyes narrowed on Kabuto, and she muttered out softly. _"Bullshit."_

Uzumaki could sense that Kabuto was very much good to fight, and could smell the smugness wafting off him from where she was at. Her fists clenched as the overwhelming scent of snakes suddenly wafted into her nose, Kabuto's glasses glinting in the light as he tilted his head in her direction. He smiled and waved before heading to his teammate. The look left Naru shaking, whilst Shino sighed and the Sensei's felt confusion. _'Total Bullshit…Why would he…Snakes?'_

Shaking her head to clear it of all the thoughts running through it, Naruko missed the look that the three Rookie Nine Sensei's exchanged. Kakashi had heard Naru's accusation, which wasn't said nearly quiet enough in her annoyance. The tension was cut however when Hayate called out again. "Akimichi Choji Vs Aburamai Shino."

Choji froze, stopping mid-crunch from eating a potato chip. He glanced up at Asuma, who paused as Shino stepped forward, glancing over at Choji. Choji sighed and raised his hand, calling out to the proctor. "I Forfeit!"

Asuma sighed but clapped Choji on his shoulder, Shikimaru offering the boy another bag of chips. Shino looked stepped back, Hayate coughing as he rolled his eyes. "W-winner Aburamai Shino."

Sarutobi sighed at the turnout of the exams. So far only Naru, Ken, and Shikimaru hadn't won by forfeits, leaving Sakura, Dosu, and now Shino that had won by forfeit, but Sakura had forced the forfeit and Kabuto had fought until he couldn't. Choji had merely not felt the need to fight a comrade, and while it was admirable it was also degrading to Shino. The weary old man glanced toward Minato and shook his head, memories of Minato and Michiko's first Chunin exams going through his head. They had both ended up facing each other in the end, but that was a thought for another day. Sarutobi's focus moved onto the match that had been called. Hayate spoke again after coughing once more. It worried Sarutobi that the man's health hadn't improved, but the medics in Konoha had tried their best and still couldn't help him. "Would Subaku No Temari and Tenten come to the Arena!"

I~~~~I

Jiraya sighed as the guards finished telling him how the preliminaries were still going on. He told them goodbye, and was about to head toward the Hokage office when two Anbu appeared before him. However, these two Anbu were different, one having a Bronze mask, the other having a Silver mask. Jiraya tensed when the one in the Bronze mask raised his hand. "Jiraya of the Sannin, Hokage-Sama has summoned you. We are to bring you to him."

Jiraya viewed the Anbu with suspicion, the Bronze Anbu's brown hair falling down over his back, the Silver Masked Anbu's silver hair sticking out. "Alright..."

Jiraya didn't recognize either of the Anbu, nor the new masks. However, he readied himself for a fight and allowed the Anbu to Shuinshin to the Hokage.

I~~~~I

Gaara watched as his sister demolished the Leaf Genin specializing with weapons. He felt his hand itch, and heard the whispers inside his head. Shaking it, he tried not to dwell on the silence he had experienced around Naru. He didn't know how to react to such a thing, such _peace_. He didn't know what such a thing was. He hadn't had a clear mind since he was born, and even then he felt that he was born into bloodlust. Sighing gently he watched as Temari won the match by opening her fan to the last stage, a giant gust of wind rushing through the arena. The weapon mast was cut open by her own weapons and Gaara felt Mother, no Shukaku's voice, get louder. His head hurt and he could feel a red haze covering his gaze. Just in time the proctor spoke up. "Subaku No Gaara Vs Rock Lee!"

Gaara felt his lips twitch as his sand surrounded him. He reappeared in the arena, a bored look replacing the second-smile. Only a second later Rock Lee landed in front of him, the green jumpsuit making Gaara want to murder the kid even without Shukaku's influence. _'Who the hell would allow a ninja to wear that…That thing…'_

Gaara inwardly shivered, and outwardly smirked darkly as Lee started his 'I'll beat you' speech.

It was at that moment that Hayate called the start of the match. Lee dashed toward Gaara, however sand built a wall surrounding Gaara. The redhead eyed his target when Shukaku started to yell into his head again. He brought a hand up to his face and gripped, a foolish attempt to make the deranged Tanuki stop. However, he was surprised when gold chakra started to fill the room. His head turned and he met the eyes of Naruko Uzumaki with his own. However, there was something different, her eyes looking glassed over as she funneled her calming chakra directly at him. He snapped from his daze, and focused on his opponent as Shukaku's voice faded away.

I~~~~I

Jiraya appeared beside the Hokage in the Hokage box, eyes wide as a Kin Kitsune Masked Anbu stepped closer to Sarutobi whom touched the Anbu's arm. The Anbu relaxed some and nodded to the Hokage. "Hokage-Sama, I ask permission to fetch Naruko."

Sarutobi glanced to his student and chuckled. "Yes of course Kin Kitsune. Raven, notify the Proctor I am leaving."

The Black Raven Masked Anbu nodded sharply, almost defiantly at the Hokage's order, before vanishing and reappearing on the field. The Gold Fox appeared in the catwalk, beside a red haired girl. Jiraya's eyes widened as he spotted the swirl the girl wore proudly and the array of scrolls she had. However Jiraya's attention was soon drawn to his Sensei as the old man rose. He smiled at Jiraya, the kind grandfatherly smile. "It's good to see you Jiraya."

Jiraya nodded to Sarutobi with a soft smile, relaxing his tensed muscles. "Likewise Sensei."

In only a moment, the Kitsune masked Anbu appeared with the red haired girl. The girl's eyes narrowed on Jiraya, before her hand moved to her neck, Jiraya's eyes snapping into that place. "Disguisement seal, Jonin Level? What happened Old Man." Sarutobi sighed gently. "Kin Kitsune, if you would." The Raven haired Anbu appeared beside Naru, and in yellow flash, Jiraya was suddenly transported out of the Hokage box.

I~~~~I

Jiraya reared back in shock when they dropped into the Namikaze estate, looking at Gold Fox in shock. "H-Hirashin…?!"

The Red haired girl beside the Anbu sighed. "I see, he doesn't know then, Sarutobi?"

Sarutobi sighed at the girl's tone but nodded. "Yes Naru, I couldn't tell him something this important over a letter."

Naruko looked over at Jiraya, and with a softly release of breath, turned to address the other Anbu in the room. "Mine as well unmask yourselves."

Uzumaki ran a hand through her growing hair, the locks going down past her ears to her nape. Jiraya turned to face the other Anbu, his face draining of color as the Anbu removed their masks, one by one. "Hello…Sensei."

Jiraya slowly turned back to the Kitsune Masked Anbu, going slack jawed while his heart stopped, eyes burning as he took in the spiky blonde hair and light blue eyes. The bastard he was looking at had the audacity to chuckle nervously and rub the back of his head sheepishly. "S-sorry isn't going to cut it, huh?"

The man had watery eyes Jiraya observed, and didn't look a day over 30. "Minato…"

Jiraya's voice was soft and quiet. His heart began to beat again, only at a rapid pace. "Y-You…How?"

Naruko stepped forward, her blue eyes slightly dulled as she spoke. "Well…"

She looked to the side, before looking up at him in disinterest. "That was my fault."

Jiraya felt his world crumbling as he looked down at Naruko Akihane Uzumaki. When he had been ordered to come home, he had expected Naru to be pissed at him. He had expected a red haired girl that would scream and blame him for not being there. He had imagined it perfectly. To Naru glaring at him from the memorial stone, touching the names of her parents.

Jiraya would have stood in front of her, his white hair falling down his back as he held back tears. Naru would glare and he would speak softly. "I-I wanted to tell Ichihara about his sister…but the Council forbade it. They threatened you and Sashiko, they threatened to kill you if I said anything."

He would have paused to gauge her reaction before continuing. "I'm sorry Naruko, I'm sorry I was never the Grandfather, or the Godfather either of you girls needed."

He would have trail off, sadness creeping into his voice, before he would have continue with renewed vigor. "I want to make it up to you, all of it…Sashiko's death, being unable to protect your parents, leaving you alone. But I can't make it up to you if you hate me…I can't do anything unless you learn to forgive me. It doesn't matter if you can't stand me, just please forgive your godfather for being stupid and leaving you alone."

Naru would have look into his golden eyes, her own blue swimming with regret and pain and _sadness_ , but she would have forgiven him. She wouldn't have like him, but she would have forgiven him and tell him as much.

Now Jiraya's illusion was revealed for being just that, an Illusion.

"Naruko…T-tell me, please. The whole story, from the beginning…Your story."

 **Finished with 5k words on the dot, take that Microsoft!**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**


	15. XV Revealations

_Soft Blue eyes glanced over toward the girl with red hair, curled into a ball on top of the ice lake. "Naruko."_

 _The eyes trailed upward to a chuckling figure, catching the red eyes of the red haired man before her. "No white hair?"_

 _Kurai Hafu paused in his laughter, looking over at the girl with the soft blue eyes. "What was that girl? I couldn't hear you over the Kitsune's pathetic whimpers…no wonder you left her-"_

 _Kurai was swiftly cut off when the blue eyes turned red, the black inside spinning dangerously as she girl's white chakra grew around her. "Leave my sister alone."_

 _The dark tone startled Kurai for only a moment, before he glared over at the girl. "Sashiko…You are the reason I am like this and you know it. Telling me to leave Naruko alone is like telling you to stop meddling with her feelings. We both know that will never happen."_

 _Sashiko lifted her small right hand, and in an instant the ice lake and Naruko vanished from around them, replaced with a pure white space filled with golden chakra. "I do not justify either of our actions. I will pay for what I have meddled with soon enough. You however, cannot be punished without punishing Naru. I will not allow it…You are also me, you also hold the capability of loving her."_

 _Kurai scoffed, stalking forward till he stood in front of the four year old girl, his red chakra growing to press into the large white chakra. He looked down into her sharingan eyes, smirking as his own red orbs glinted darkly. "I could never love someone who gave up."_

 _Sashi stared into his eyes, and Kurai returned the favor. The area seemed to shimmer as Sashiko's white chakra started to recede. "She did give up, but she gave up on her hatred, not on me or herself."_

 _Kurai was forced to step back when the sharingan finally stopped spinning. Sashiko's eyes were in a form he would rather not see again, the form that created and controlled him. "Y-you…"_

 _The manifestation was silenced when suddenly the white chakra rose up and swallowed his red chakra. White cracks appeared in his skin as his eyes filled with betrayal and hate. Sashi only sighed sadly, and shoved her tiny palm through Kurai's chest. He looked down at the little girl in shock, before screaming out in anger. "D-don't you dare!"_

 _Sashi looked closed her eyes, sharingan fading away. "Echo…Soul Sealing Jutsu!"_

 _The white cracks spread further, spiraling to form kanji before a blinding light erupted._

 _l~~~~l_

Olive green eyes snapped open, the tan skinned boy shooting up from his bed. He panted heavily, eyes wide as he ran over the dream. Bits and pieces were missing, it was incomplete. However, the spiraling design that the girl's eyes had shown…That was no normal sharingan.

Closing his eyes, the boy tensed when the shoji door slid open, his father rushing in. Ken knew that it was his father, but he was shaken up by the turn of events. He knew now, he knew what had happened to Naruko's older sister. He just needed a little more information on that night, and he'd have the complete story. His lips twitched, and a hand laid itself on his shoulder. He looked up with his eyes open, nodding to his father's worried face. "I know what happened, Father."

 _l~~~~l_

Kakashi stood beside Jiraya and the Gold Fox masked Anbu, watching as Naruko prayed to the shrine before her. She had offered up some ramen and rice balls, flowers also left on the shrine. Her blue eyes were slightly glazed, and she spoke softly to the names engraved on the stone. The Gold Fox reached over and touched Naru's shoulder gently, right beside the hidden seal mark. She shivered a bit, but relaxed her shoulders some. "Thank you…"

Naru was hesitant still, didn't completely trust any of them. It saddened the adults, how distrusting a child could become. Kakashi buried his face back into his book as Naru walked past the adults, barely sparring Jiraya a glance as Minato sped up to walk beside her. There was silence over the area, even as Naru stepped beside the sand ninja with red hair. He had been waiting for them at the start of the training ground, not wanting to intrude. "Naruko…"

Subaku's deep voice still unnerved Kakashi, even if he hadn't exactly hurt Lee too badly in their fight. From what Kakashi had heard from Gai, Gaara had been clutching his head when his sand had tried to crush Lee, only for Gaara to move and instead simply break the boy's leg. The leg just needed a month to heal and then it'd be good to go. It was better than the alternative.

The group walked toward the Namikaze household, Gaara in tow as Kakashi read and Jiraya and Minato kept an eye on the children. The two red heads chatted softly, almost too quietly for the Jonin to hear. However, all the Jonin present had enhanced hearing. Naru smiled softly at the blatant comment Gaara made about Kakashi's book. "I can see why he annoys you…Baki tends to read the same book, only it's the less detailed version, since the Sand is very strict about those things."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side after Gaara finished speaking, peering over his book to see Naru's reaction. He felt like her got slapped in the face when the female simply laughed. "Yes, and he has only taught us a couple seals, and maybe the tree walking exercise. I already knew it and water walking, so I'm not too sure if I can count that. What has your sensei taught you?"

Kakashi felt a little peeved that Naru had known how to walk on trees, and water, and hadn't felt the need to notify him. Hell, the girl had even pretended not to know!

"He's too scared of me and the elders to teach me anything. If you can count the bijuu controlling lessons though…it'd still be zero. They could never get through to me."

Naru nodded to Gaara's answer, looking forward as the large Namikaze gates came into view. "Home sweet home…" Gaara followed her line of sight, eyes widening slightly. Waiting for them at the gate was an old man, his face wrapped in bandages. Naru's somewhat happy exterior instantly faded, her pupils morphing into slits as she looked over at the old man. "Gaara, why don't you head back home? We can train tomorrow if you want…"

Sensing her unease, Gaara nodded, his eyes narrowed on the man as his sand picked up around him, hiding him from view before it blew away, revealing empty air. Kakashi put his book away, Minato's chakra morphing into an ice cold blue while Jiraya narrowed his eyes on the man before them. "Lord Danzo…"

It was Naru who addressed the man, the group now standing in front of the elder. The man looked down at Naru as her slit pupils changed back to normal. She did a small bow, barely keeping herself from lashing out at the man in front of her. She hated him, for many things. The most prominent? He wanted to use her as an emotionless tool for the village she hated. "Uzumaki-San."

His quick to the point tone was like ice cold fingers choking her slowly, and Naru had to catch herself from touching her throat where Minato's gift lay. "This is unexpected…what did you need?"

She was curt, not hiding her discomfort in the man being so close to where she lived. "I came to congratulate you on making it into the Third Exam…"

Danzo's one uncovered eye looked to the adults standing behind her, Kin Kitsune resting his hand near his pouch. Danzo's eye turned back to Naru, and the red head could see the wheels turning in the cobweb filled head of his. He was wondering why the Hokage was using his personally established force to guard the Uzumaki brat. "Thank you Lord Danzo…I just came back from visiting my parents to share the new with them as well…"

Danzo nodded curtly, not actually caring but simply doing so as a formality. "You are very much so like your mother…Kushina."

Minato barely restrained himself from lunging at the man, who Naru swore had laughter in his eyes as she spoke of her mother. She could head the hatred in his tone, the utter disgust that the man had for her mother.

Still, Naruko merely nodded to the elder. "Thank you…"

The Jinchuuriki managed the words, her voice nearly breaking as she looked to her group of adults. "We should be going now…I want to catch my Godfather up on what's happened."

Danzo looked toward Jiraya, whom nodded sharply as a sign of grudging respect. "Jiraya, good to see you. The same to you, Kakashi."

Kakashi was already tensed, but at Danzo's words, he grew even more so. "The same to you Lord Danzo."

Danzo accepted both of their replies with a nod, before he turned with his cane, heading back toward the village. Naru let loose a breath the moment the geezer was no longer in sight. Minato relaxed his hand, though he still shook in anger for Danzo's tone when regarding his late wife. Jiraya sighed and turned to Naru, Kakashi's eye still fixed on the road. "Shall we enter?"

Naru nodded, turning toward the gate. She had a haunted look in her eye, one that unnerved Jiraya more so than the random appearance of Danzo had.

Minato gripped Naruko's shoulder and offered his hand to Jiraya, whilst Kakashi set his hand on Naru's head. They all vanished, soon appearing inside the compound. Naru quickly retracted from her father and her Sensei, leading everyone to the house in the middle of the compound. Madara waited for them at the door, his dark eyes narrowed on the red haired girl. "Naruko."

Naru nodded and followed him away from the compound, not glancing back as Minato and Kakashi dragged Jiraya along. "It's still weird…seeing ghosts of the past like this."

Minato nodded slowly, biting his lip as the two ninja took stances at the training ground. He was thankful that no one could get into the compound or even see inside it without his or Naruko's permission, however them training out in the open never ceased to worry him.

"You're late."

Naruko ignored Madara's statement in favor of removing the weights on her legs and wrists, pausing only once as she unstrapped the last one to reply. "The Old Bastard Danzo payed us a visit."

Uzumaki stood straight and shifted her feet into a stance as Madara took to his own. Her eyes swirled as the Sharingan activated, her breathing becoming even. "Ignore him."

Naru said nothing more to Madara after his order, and the two launched at each other. She ducked under his strikes and slipped around his blows. His sharingan wasn't activated, thank Kami, or she'd be getting a beat down. His foot suddenly connected with her arms as she braced them in front of her chest, a grunt sounding as she flipped backward to avoid damage. Madara's hands were swiftly crossed over each other as hand signs formed. A giant fireball was soon blown from his mouth, making Naruko curse as she flashed through her own hand signs, extending her hand in front of her. "Wind Style, Gale Palm!"

Highly compressed air gathered around Naruko's hand and shot toward the fireball, blasting it apart. The fire was merely a distraction however, leading to Madara slamming his elbow into her shoulder. She quickly retaliated by dropping her weight in order to swipe under his legs. Her shoulder ached when she brought it up to block a downward elbow. Madara had jumped over her leg, and was now flipping over her. She quickly rolled away, standing as soon as she righted herself. Her eyes narrowed on the Uchiha and she raised her hands, flashing through several hand signs. "Blood Style, 6 Petaled Lotus!"

Blood chakra poured from her reserves and soon it surrounded her in a barrier. Her eyes flashed to red and she winced when ringing entered her ears. Madara flashed through more hand signs, his hand swiping across a scroll as he unraveled it. His fan appeared and in seconds a giant fire dragon was roaring toward her.

Minato winced when the flames came into contact with the petals, the smell of burnt metal wafting through the area. He hated how their spars always turned into battles with chakra. Sure, his and Kushina's seals kept the outside from seeing such extravagant displays but it never changed how bad it got. "Woah…"

Kakashi glanced back toward his Sensei and his Student, finding the older one staring at the display in awe, and the younger clenching his fist. Minato could see Kakashi's protective instincts showing through, but he doubted right now was the time to dwell on such things.

Naru pushed past the searing heat surrounding her, the blood petals having formed a cocoon against the on slot of heat. Her hands flashed through hand signs as she focused on evening the circumstances. The fire finally cleared, her blood shield collapsing as she stopped funneling chakra into it. Her hands stopped on the ram seal, eyes narrowed as her tomos spun franticly. "35 Seals Technique, Geyser Arena Summoning!"

The ground began to get hot as Naru pulled water from below, before pulling out a scroll. She bit her thumb and swiped it across, catching the staff as it landed in her palm. Madara was soon in front of her, just as the first geyser erupted with a screech into the air. She held her staff in front of her, blocking the swipe that his Uchiha Fan had made. He used only one hand, eyes as dark and bland as ever while he pushed the staff even further into Naru's personal space. The red head however simply allowed this, letting one hand go in order to slam the palm into Madara's arm. The Uchiha backed away as blood seals formed around the arm, and it fell to his side limp. "Clever."

Madara simply held his fan with his other arm, watching his opponent settle into a more comfortable staff. Naru's arms were extended, one inverted so she could easily bring it in for a block. He swung the fan down, a wave of compressed air shooting out toward her. She merely raised her staff and slammed it into the ground, launching herself into the air while also creating a giant line of cracked earth toward Madara. His eyes narrowed when geysers erupted around him, searing hot water falling over him. He slipped away from the area and blocked an incoming strike from the girl he was facing. Her eyes were narrowed as her tomos spun around continuously. He brought his hand to his face and she cursed, shoving the staff to his chest as she flipped backward. A fireball raged after her, the staff popping from existence.

Naruko landed swiftly and dragged out another scroll, holding it in front of her as she swiped her newly bitten thumb across the surface. Seals spiraled outward, forming intricate patterns before the same seals from her lightning scrolls appeared at the edges. Lightning danced over the paper whilst the Fire hit it, bending the paper slightly. However, the seals for the lightning soon shifted, said lightning launching itself in the direction of Madara. The fire became absorbed inside the scroll, Naru quickly rolling it up and placing it back at her side. She took out several kunai and enhanced them with wind chakra, sharpening the outside of them. The kunai sailed as she let them free, breaking through the web of lightning and landing around Madara. The Uchiha now knew what Naru had planned and resealed his fan. He dodged the rest of the kunai and Shuinshined the side of the web of lightning as it passed into the water that launched upward from behind his previous position. The effect was instantaneous, lightning mixing with the burning water to cause a series of crackling and pops.

Naru slammed her leg down onto Madara's unsealed shoulder, earning her a soft grunt. The Uchiha grabbed her leg however and swung her forward into the ground. The lightning cackled in the background ominously and the geysers began to die down. Naru panted lightly, her sharingan slowing down as she engaged Madara again. First was a swipe at his legs, which he grabbed her other leg over. She bent her back over and shifted her weight, pulling him along with some extra persuasion with chakra. He let go of her to land correctly, and she launched herself back to her feet. Her palms struck outward, aiming at his chest as he ducked and weaved around her attacks. He landed some strikes of his own, most of them centered on her already injured shoulder that was stinging still. She struck at his face, and he swerved just in time. She too spun when he aimed his leg at her waist, also barely dodging the blow. Her eyes turned blue and they met his black ones, her pupils morphing to slits. She raised her other arm and extended it at his open chest, his eyes watching her arm.

Madara's hand shot upward, grabbing her wrist. However, her fingers touched his armored chest piece and his wrist. Seals extended over the surface of the chest piece, his hand, and her wrist. The nerves in that hand lost function and it dropped, but she was quick to bring her other arm around and stop the sealing, while the seals continued to grow on Madara. He nodded stiffly to her as the seals froze his body, and she stepped away. Her wrist fell limply to her side, and she panted whilst her eyes returned to normal. "Good."

Naru accepted that as the end of it, a soft clap drawing her attention to the side where Minato stood, clapping slowly.

Kakashi stood beside him, his book put away. She caught his mask twitching and felt heat rise to her face. She cursed herself and turned away before she saw Jiraya. He palm hit the chest piece on Madara, unsealing the Uchiha. The unsealing extended to his arms, freeing both limbs as well.

Madara gave her a look for a moment before he turned and walked away. He offered no further conversation, causing Naru to head back to her Father and Sensei. She held her other wrist in her hand, ready to unseal it. She was stopped however when her father stepped forward, taking it into his own hands. Her blue eyes met the holes in his mask as he sent chakra into the seal. She found that unlike when she unsealed it, it didn't hurt. Her wrist felt numb still but it didn't sting. She pulled away and bit her lip, glancing to the side. "T-thanks…I g-guess."

Naruko cursed herself inwardly, the mark on her neck pulsing to emit a soft warmth. It shocked her a little, however she didn't react, instead looking toward Jiraya as he spoke up. "Seals huh? Those look pretty crazy for a kid to have."

The Uzumaki paused to let a smirk drift over her lips, burying the warm feeling deep inside her. "I have more, but…"

Naru gestured to both Kakashi and Minato with an exaggerated sigh. "These two banned me from torturing people with my seals, so I'm stuck with the consuming and release seals."

Jiraya chuckled at her, finding himself strangely at ease despite the training session he had just witnessed. "Why don't you show me them? Maybe I could give you some tips."

Naru only laughed, earning her a deadpan stare from Jiraya. "I'm learning from the Yellow Flash and the First Hokage, I doubt you could teach me much of anything."

Jiraya leaned down as Naru leaned up, the two butting heads. "I'll have you know that I am more advanced than your father in certain areas and Hashirama's view is very limited."

Kakashi and Minato simply stood to the side, Kakashi relaxing as he watched Naru argue with her God Father. He was glad she hadn't shut herself in after the battle between herself and Madara, but was still warry over what happened next. Naru had been strangely ok with most of the things going on, even managing to laugh and have fun on occasion. He glanced toward his Sensei, only to find him focused on something besides the two bickering people. He frowned slightly and followed his line of sight, only for his body to freeze.

A girl, one that he had seen before on occasion, stood behind Naru. She smiled softly, he hand rested on Naru's injured shoulder, the same one with the sealed Curse Mark. White chakra flowed from her as the girl turned her eyes toward Minato and Kakashi. Her blue eyes were glazed over, blue hair falling in messy short spikes around her head just under her ears. She pulled away from Naru, sighing gently. She raised a finger to her lips, just before she vanished as the wind blew by. She left a faint handprint on Naru's shoulder, only for it to seep into the fabric of Naru's shirt.

Minato turned to Kakashi and the two shared a glance, Kakashi's head reeling. The girl was the same one that would sometimes visit him at the memorial stone and had recently. It wasn't just that though, because Kakashi had seen a picture of Sashiko recently and the girl looked exactly like her. There was no doubt in either Adult's mind now.

Sashiko, who had just stood behind Naru, was responsible for the white chakra following her around. That also meant that Sashiko was responsible for sealing Naru's curse mark.

 _l~~~~l_

 _Sashiko pulled her sister behind her, the red hair that Naru possessed brushing against her shoulder. "S-Sashi w-we need to run…"_

 _Sashi flinched as the shouts of the villagers grew louder, her heart pounding in her chest. "S-Shh, Naru they won't find us. I-I'll protect you if they do."_

 _Her resolve hardened as she gripped her sister's hand, fear coursing through her veins. "I found them!"_

 _Her heart skipped a beat as a man shouted from in front of them. He stood a few meters ahead, a torch burning in his hand despite the constant downpour around them. The flames flickered and hissed but remained alive, casting a glow on the two girls. Naru yelped, backing up in the tree behind them whilst Sashi raised her hands in order to protect her sister. The fire lit up his plain brown hair and brown eyes, a common combination in Konoha. His face held a signature scowl that most villagers held. "Demon Scum…Thought you could hide did you?!"_

 _Sashiko grunted and forced her legs to remain steady as she glared darkly at the man. "G-Get away!"_

 _Naru yelled from behind Sashiko, though her call was ignored. Sashiko spoke up after her sister, angered by the stupid villager who couldn't see he was harming an innocent child. "We never did anything to you!"_

 _The man sneered at her words, lashing out with his torch. Sashiko held back a cry as sparks burnt her arm and she was sent tumbling to the side, mud coating her body. The man glared at her and spat at her. "You never did anything?! Don't give me that shit, you killed so many people, you killed my son!"_

 _His foot smashed down on Sashiko's back, stars exploding in her eyes. Naruko watched from behind, eyes wide and filled with tears. "N-No…"_

 _The foot smashed down onto Sashiko's chest again, making her cry out in pain once more and cough up clear fluid. "Disgusting little bit-"_

 _Sashiko turned to her sister, her blue eyes filling with shock when she saw the redness in Naru's eyes. "Y-you…BASTARD! LET HER GO!"_

 _Naru tore across the muddy clearing, knocking the man over. He tumbled, his light going out as it hit the water. Her hands were now claws, her eyes having slit pupils with a red coloring surrounding it._

 _The last thing Naru saw was red, before screams sounded in the air, blood surrounding her._

 _l~~~~l_

A sharp intake of breath was the only warning the Namikaze household got before Naruko screamed, thrashing from her nightmare as her eyes shot open wide. Vivid images of bodies falling in front of her played through her head, the shaking and scared form of Sashiko standing in front of her as she ripped into a man.

Naru could taste the blood in her mouth and shook as she tried to suppress the images. It was like the night Sashi died, only different. This was worse, and yet she didn't feel the urge to call it false. Her head hurt as she screamed again. Arms circled around her body and Minato pulled her close as he brushed her hair back, whispering softly as she stopped screaming. She whimpered and shook in his arms, eyes frozen wide in fear.

Kakashi slipped beside her as well, resting his hand on her knee, where her own gripped her skin. She cried against Minato's chest, her hands winding around Kakashi's. Her nails dug into his palm, but he didn't move away. His headband was gone, his sharingan eye closed and his black one filled with concern.

Minato looked up at the white haired ninja as the curse mark glowed white, some chakra filling the area around them. Hashirama, Tobirama and Jiraya stood in the doorway, Madara leaning against the hallway wall.

 **That took way too long to write. So I changed the course a bit. I wasn't going to really reveal Sashiko until the Invasion, but then I couldn't write for forever and this popped out. Testing will begin soon, but we only have around 47 days of school left so maybe I'll get more out. Anyways SO sorry for not updating sooner, and I will be posting another story this week. Not sure if it'll be either Naruto or Young Justice related, but that'll be something to look forward to. Thanks so much for reading! Review if you want, I won't bite, and I appreciate the feedback.**

 **Exactly 4,444 words!**

 **Also the full events of what happened that night, plus a little more are now posted to ToaJ(Tales of a Jinchuuriki) in Sashiko's point of view as** _ **'Through a Sister's Eyes'**_ **.**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**


	16. XVI Rasengan Training

**Hello again! It's been a little while and this chapter isn't as long as I normally make mine, but I figured it was pretty good as is. I hope you think the same, and please enjoy reading!**

 **Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto or any characters but those related to the Oreshizoku Clans**

 **Chapter dedicated to this spring break, which has helped me clear my head.**

Sea foam colored eyes looked at the two people sleeping in the living room. Red hair twisted up slightly as wind came in through an open window, a sigh filling the air. Gaara's deep voice echoed as he spoke up, slightly annoyance in his tone. "Temari, Kankuro we need to talk."

The red head's heart pounded as the words exited his mouth. What he had to tell them was important, and it would decide what happened to their family. Baki was gone for the day, delivering a message to the Kazekage, the Subaku Sibilings' father.

The two above Chunin level nin both blinked open their eyes, Temari rising slowly before going straight when she noticed Gaara. She shook Kankuro awake, worry flowing over her face as she looked toward Gaara. Said redhead tried to interpret the different emotions in her hazel eyes, but found himself unable to. He wasn't good at reading emotions, unlike a certain Uzumaki that seemed to know what he was feeling constantly. He was slightly on edge still after she had dismissed him abruptly, so that didn't help his concentration, or lack thereof. "Y-Yes Gaara?"

The redhead turned away, trying to find the right words as his mouth opened and closed several times. "I-I…"

He wasn't sure how to continue, even though he had already recited this with Naru more than ten times. "I can't…I'm so…"

His teeth ground down on each other and his hands fisted at his sides. From behind Temari Kankuro eyed Gaara, a soft unsure smile lifting on his lips. Gaara froze once he saw the look, his breath leaving him. "Looks like you got your head back…right Gaara?"

Kankuro still sounded unsure, but he was trying to help. He was trying to urge Gaara onward. Swallowing back the lump in his throat, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment, Gaara managed to finish what he had started to say. "S-Sorry….For what I've done…I'm trying to say that…"

The sentence was fragmented and out of order, only adding to Gaara's embarrassment and his insecurities about what he was doing. He didn't have long to dwell on the negatives however, arms encasing him suddenly. "T-There's no need…We already forgave you Gaara. We always did…we wanted out brother you know? I'm sorry…I'm so sorry that we didn't do something sooner."

Temari's embrace and her words made Gaara go slack, however his sand didn't lash out and he didn't pull her away, despite not knowing what to do. Instead, he simply let his head fall on her shoulder as Kankuro joined in on the hug. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation anymore.

I~~~~I

"You need to keep it contained and not burst the balloon. You have to match the speed and the power perfectly or else it won't work."

Jiraya stood behind Naruko as she charged up another Rasengan inside her 88th water balloon. Kakashi watched over his Icha Icha on the sidelines, amused as Naru burst the water balloon once again. She had managed to do the first two step with ease, but now had to work on the last step of the incomplete rasengan. "I swear…"

The red haired girl turned sharply and slammed her fist into a nearby tree. The chakra in her hand completely destroyed the tree, sending wood chips everywhere. Jiraya sighed gently and looked at his depleted stock of water balloons. "Alright we'll call it quits for now, alright?"

Naru nodded, looking down at her hand before collapsing on the ground. She hit the dirt with little more than a huff, crossing her legs medative style. "I can't believe it still pops. I've worked my Chakra control down and continuously make sure to keep it growing, and I still can't stop it from fluctuating."

The Uzumaki's blue eyes raked over the remains of the water balloons, and she mutters before falling backward, her arms stretched backward to support her weight. "You'll get it Aki-Chan, I believe in you!"

Kakashi's encouragement did little more than draw a very dark glare from the red head, one that would have made Kushina proud. "Tsh, you look just like your mother kid."

Hearing this Naru turns sharply to Jiraya, her attention mostly on him. Kakashi rolls his one eye at being ignored, pocketing his book to go join them. "Well pretty close anyways. Whenever Kushina really got mad, her hair seemed to split into nine tails…."

Kakashi and Jiraya both shivered whilst Naru smirked softly. "So I've heard…"

The girl paused however, thoughts drifting to her father. He was supposed to help her out but had been called out with Tobirama and Emerarudo Kame to deal with some rumored sightings. Naru wasn't sure who had been sighted, but she guessed it had to be along the lines of Orochimaru if her father was involved.

The sudden image of the Snake Sannin made her cringe in disgust and her hands clench. Her curse mark pulsed once, tingling warmth flooding her veins. She shivered and brought herself forward to look at her hands. She focused on the tips, were her prints were. She stared down at them in wonder while thoughts suddenly surfaced.

"That's it!"

Both silver haired men looked in shock as Naru stared at two of her fingers, a rare smile on her face. "I have it now."

Naruko stalked toward the water balloons, grabbing another one. Both of the nin watched whilst she held the balloon in one hand, forming a hand seal in the other. Their eyes widened when blood chakra began to replace hers, spinning inside the balloon. She focused down at it and moved her other hand around in different directions, the balloon wobbling slightly but maintaining its shape. She poured more chakra into the technique and her hand increased its taps on the outside of the ball, changing the direction of the chakra at a fast rate. The outside of the balloon ripped, however it didn't implode like the others. Instead it began to surround the water from the inside of the balloon, the rubber outer coating completely destroyed.

Raising her hand, Naru readied herself. The two nin quickly jumped back as her hand slammed into the ground, a log taking her place whilst she appeared beside Kakashi and Jiraya. "Substitution does come in handy sometimes, even if it is an academy technique."

The rasengan drilled into the ground before expanding in size. A loud whine like that of a kit was heard first, but it was only the calm before the storm. The blood chakra spiraled outward in opposite directions whilst the blue chakra remained containing the water. Finally the jutsu exploded, the chakra warping slightly as dust flew upward whilst a roar entered the air, much like a clap of thunder. Kakashi slammed his hand into the ground, forming a rock wall as the dust blew outward.

"K-Kid…What the hell was that?!"

Naru had the decency to look surprised once the dust began to settle on the ground and her ears had stopped ringing. It had hurt more than she'd admit, due to her enhanced hearing. She ignored the pain and hopped over the wall to get a better look, Kakashi and Jiraya following. "Well when I was looking at my finger prints I realized that they have many different layers, like an onion. After that I thought about how my original chakra is very condensed and has a wire like aspect, while my Blood Chakra is spread out and has a more…sludgy feel to it. It made me wonder if what I needed was something to balance out my tightly strung chakra, so I tried out a 50/50 type of thing…"

Naru's eyes widened when she saw the crater, forcing her mouth to remain shut despite her shock. "And it seems I put a little too much blood chakra…so it was too loose."

The crater that had formed looked like a giant eye had been pressed into the ground, spirals engraved into the ground along with splatters caused more than likely by blood chakra. "Kid…That was dangerous, but genius…" Kakashi was glad for his mask as he stared down at the crater, knowing that his surprise could only be seen if one looked real close. "I think a 70/30 ratio or around that range might be better…"

Naru paused as she jumped into the crater. "Who knows, maybe I can complete the rasengan with it like this. Of course I have to actually make it work first…"

A groan left her lips and she sighed. "I hate myself."

I~~~~I

Kin Kitsune stood at the borders between Suna and Fire Country, surveying the area. He paused to give a raised hand, two Anbu dropping beside him. Tobirama in his Okami mask, and Tortoise with the Kame mask. "Gin Okami, you picking up anything?"

Minato addressed Tobirama as silver wolf. Tobirama stayed still for a few moments before replying softly. "It feels familiar…I believe we found another place where that Oreshizoku Nin was at."

Minato nodded, dropping down onto the ground. Kame followed with Tobirama, each being careful of their surroundings as they walked into the forest and away from the desert border. "Keep your jutsu ready Emerarudo Kame, he might have set Chakra traps."

Kame nodded at the order from Minato, his hands brought together carefully as they continued deeper into the forest. The area got darker and the wind grew distant, the sounds muffled by the rustling of leaves overhead. The three paused when they reached a small cottage. The place looked abandoned, but each of them kept their guard on high alert. Tobirama wordlessly took the lead while Kame brought the rear, Minato making sure to watch their backs.

They entered, the old wooden boards creaking slightly under the pressure of three adults. They filed into the open door of the cottage one by one, taking in the area. Minato scanned for traps and let out a soft 'hai' to notify that there were none. Each Treasury walked different areas of the three room cottage, Tobirama in the Kitchen, Kame in the den, and Minato in the back room. None of the rooms were very big, maybe 5' by 10'.

Minato briskly opened the door to the room, stepping inside. He noted the thin layer of dust, and the queen sized bed along with the small cot at the side of it. There was no other furniture in the room other than a desk and a chair, the bed stripped of everything but a mattress. To the side of the room was a closet where the clothes were more than likely at.

Glancing between the desk opposite of the closet and the shogi doors keeping the storage sealed, Minato chose to look at the desk first. He walked over and carefully opened drawers. He paused when he took in various ink splotches and drying seals. He stopped at the last drawer, the bottom right one. He opened it slowly, eyes widening behind his bright mask at the contents. "Dammit."

I~~~~I

Jiraya took to watching his goddaughter train whilst talking with her sensei, both nin amused at the display of annoyance. She had gotten more water balloons and was now working with around 30 clones, half working on the blood style version while the other half worked on the normal rasengan. "She's getting pretty good, don't you think Kakashi?"

Glancing toward the red haired girl, Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Slowly but surely. Despite her attitude she doesn't give up…"

The Scarecrow's eye dulled as worry filled it however. "Still, she needs to rest every once and a while."

Jiraya glanced to his fellow silvernette, before smirking and nodding to himself. This garnered him a raised eyebrow in amusement and confusion, to which he only continued grinning. "Well Kakashi, it's almost Lunch time. Let's take the Gaki out for some lunch, eh?"

Jiraya looked to the Sensei, whom only sweat dropped and slid his ever present book from his weapon's pouch. "Whatever."

Jiraya gave a throaty chuckled and slapped the Jonin on the back, nearly sending him tumbling forward in surprise. "Naruko, come to lunch with us, you can leave your clones here!"

The girl looked up from her water balloon and sighed, letting it pop so she could raise her hands to her face. She created another clone and asked for her clones to continue. "Hai!"

The female carrot tops all called out, earning them bemused looks from the Gama-Sennin. "Alright."

Naru walked toward the two, pausing to give them a curious and untrustworthy glance, one that felt very much like a dagger to the heart as Jiraya lead the two toward Konoha. "I think I know just the place, haven't been there in a while. It'll be a good break from Ramen too."

The other two parties perked up at the mention of this, both now very interested in where exactly Jiraya was going to take them to get him lunch. They both knew the drill. He'd take them to lunch, but foot the bill onto them at the end. Naru made sure to tap the seal sewn into the pocket of her new jacket, relaxing when she found that it still contained Gama-Chan. "Fine Ero-Jiji."

Jiraya very well looked like an anvil had fallen on his head at the disrespectful comment.

I~~~~I

"Gin Okami, Emerardo Kame, you might want to come check this out."

Minato took out the pictures, his blue eyes narrowing on them. The pictures were printed in color, showcasing a blonde haired blue-eyed Uzumaki and a cyan haired azure-eyed Oreshizoku. They were old, slightly crinkled, and had the small print of a snake on the back. Minato forced himself not to clench his hands until both men had taken the pictures from his hands. "Kin Kitsune, Orochimaru's chakra lingers on the photographs."

Minato couldn't stop himself from slamming his fist into the nearest wall as his teeth ground into one another. " _Bastard…_ "

The low hiss was enough to make the average Jonin shiver. Tobirama narrowed his eyes on the photos, sorting through them. He stopped when he found one of Naru, just before the Chunin Exams, standing in front of the Sand Siblings. "This house was only recently abandoned and yet…it looks like it hasn't been tended to for years."

There was a soft hum and all three turned sharply to the doorway. Standing there was the Oreshizoku Nin, twirling what looked like a Senbon in his fingers. His hair was pulled back and his hood was let down, his necklace displayed freely while his scarf was wrapped around his waist. The cloak covered the rest other than his black sandals.

"Yes, you could say I left the photos. Don't get me wrong, I loathe Konoha…"

The man's eyes raised to meet theirs, violet clashing with the orbs inside the masks. "But I hate Orochimaru so much more for participating in Lady Orama's demise."

His gaze narrowed as he straightened himself up, the other ninja tensing while he grabbed a scroll from his waist. He tossed it toward Minato, who caught it with minimal effort. "Do be careful Kin Kitsune, don't want your daughter growing up alone, hmm?"

The red head's eyes flickered before he held up his hand up in a wordless release, vanishing with little smoke. Minato remained frozen in place, shaking slightly as he realized the extent of the man's knowledge. "Kitsune…We need to return."

Minato barely registered Tobirama, nodding numbly. "O-okay."

I~~~~I

Asuma managed to hide his surprise well when he saw Jiraya of the Sannin walk into a humble Barbeque joint with a red haired Uzumaki and a silver haired Hatake in tow. His students however, weren't as lucky or skilled. Ino nearly choked on her broccoli as Choji dropped his beef, Shikamaru being the more composed as his eyes widened. Blue eyes blinked in their direction before the red head was pushed along by the older white haired man, whom sported a grin under his green headband. "Well hello Asuma, long time no see."

Kakashi followed in a lazy saunter, though his eye was more so directed on his student than his book. "L-Lord Jiraya…I heard you arrived yesterday…I-It's good that you are back."

Jiraya nodded toward Asuma as Naru tried to remove herself from the Sannin's hands, however he wouldn't let her run. She glared up at him and Asuma saw the hidden message she passed through her orbs. _'You will pay for this Ero-Jiji.'_

Asuma barely withheld his shiver, having been on the receiving end of one of her revenge pranks before. "Well do you mind if we join you?"

Asuma looked over at his students in the large booth, the food that they had just ordered still steaming on the grill. "T-That would be fine."

The Sarutobi wordlessly shot his student's looks, and they scooted over in their seats in compliance. Kakashi took the furthest seat in, Naru wedging between him and the Gama-Sennin. A waitress made her way toward them and Jiraya ordered a little more food as well as a bottle of Sake, the waitress nodding before going to get them some drinks.

Naru remained silent through the ordeal, eyeing the area.

"W-Wait, Naruko, when the hell did you meet Jiraya of the Sannin?!"

Ino was the first to recover of her teammates, pointing her chopsticks at the red head in question.

Uzumaki Naruko sighed and leaned over to grab some chopsticks and distribute some plates to her Sensei's. "He was friends with my parents, put simply. He's my godfather as well, and wanted to train me for the Third Exam coming up."

Naru remained calm, merely stating the simple truth while not mentioning her parents' identities nor the reason why he was friends with _her_ parents in particular. Shikamaru, the second to recover, noted on this but said nothing. Asuma paused to contemplate, while Choji quickly replaced the beef he had lost before into his mouth. "So Shikamaru, how is your training?"

The waitress arrived with drinks, Naru taking a glass of water along with Kakashi while Jiraya took a tea and some of the Sake. "Training? It's a real drag to be honest…My dad and Asuma-Sensei are both hounding me about it."

A wordless glance to Ino also told Naru that the males hadn't been the only ones hounding him about his training. "It's better than spending this month doing nothing Shikamaru. Over all I'm sure it'll pay off in the end. At least I know I have a challenge from another Konoha-Nin other than Doten-Shi."

The mention of the other red head caused Ino to perk up, and Kakashi to glanced down at his student over his book.

Naru took a sip of her water before eating a slice of cooked beef, moving onto cooking another piece.

"That guy that beat Sasuke?"

Asuma spoke up as Naru finished chewing, her eyes briefly connecting to his as she answered. "Yes, he promised me a match so I'm looking forward to it."

Ino huffed from her side of the table, turning her nose up at Naru as she spoke. "He only won because Sasuke-Kun wasn't in good condition."

Naru felt her eye twitch slightly at the statement, her annoyance taking place in her tone. "Sasuke- _teme_ underestimated Doten-Shi simply because he wasn't from a known clan. The boy may not be as well-known or infamous as Sasuke is, but that gave Sasuke even more reason to be cautious. His arrogance became his weakness and Doten-Shi turned it into his downfall."

Done speaking, Naru took another piece of meat into her mouth, Ino staring at her in wide-mouthed embarrassment as she blushed darkly. Asuma and Kakashi both spoke softly in agreement with Shikamaru on the matter, while Choji snatched up the last piece of beef that Naru had for some reason, ignored. The silence was thick, the arrival of more meat barely bringing up the mood.

They exchanged small sentences from then on, Jiraya mostly the one to begin them. Ino glared at Naru but kept her mouth shut, Shikamaru adding his own input every so often. Asuma managed to bring Kakashi away from his book long enough for them to discuss recent events, and Choji seemed to be having an eating contest with Naru.

Said Uzumaki paused after finishing her last piece of meat, eyes snapping open. Her necklace seemed to hum with chakra against her neck, something that told her Minato needed them. "Kakashi-Sensei…"

Just as she was about to relay the message, an Anbu appeared in front of Jiraya with a puff of smoke. "Sannin Lord Jiraya, Jonin Hatake Kakashi, Genin Uzumaki Naruko, you have been summoned by Lord Hokage."

Asuma wordlessly shared a look with Jiraya as the white haired man stood. "Understood Anbu-san, please tell Sarutobi-Sensei we'll be their soon."

The Anbu nodded wordlessly and vanished, the tense atmosphere back. "Well…looks like this is cut short. Thank you for the company, Asuma-Sensei. It was good seeing you, Shikamaru, Choji."

Naru flashed a very faint and almost sad smile to each boy while Kakashi touched her shoulder. "See you around, Asuma."

Kakashi waved lazily and Master and student vanished together in a Shuinshin. Jiraya nodded to Asuma and vanished soon after taking the Sake with him.

Asuma noticed this a moment later and his eyebrow ticked in irritation. "Did they just leave us with their bill?"

Shikamaru stood with Choji, Ino reluctantly following.

"Nope, they left _you_ with the bill."

Asuma's eyes widened as his students up and left him there, an annoyed waitress glaring at him from behind.

"W-What?!"

 **Huh, this one wasn't that bad. I think I've sort of gotten back into the groove of this story. Mostly it'll be filler chapters to cover the month gap, though it hopefully won't extend to over three chapters. The chapters will more than likely also be small since I am still feeling the edge of writers block. Thanks to those who reviewed last time, and those who favorited or followed, it's appreciated greatly!**

 **(6-28-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Note: Sennin refers to Senjutsu master, or someone who can enter Sage mode. Gama means toad, so Gama Sennin means Toad Sage.**

 **Sannin however, means protector basically, and there are three of them currently, Senju Tsunade of the Slugs, Orochimaru of the Snakes, and Jiraya of the Toads.**

 **Ero-Jiji means Pervert Grandfather, or perverted Oldman for Naru. She calls Jiraya this in a distant and mostly disrespectful manner because she still isn't used to or attached to him, but still doesn't want to outright ignore him due to the mixing of the happy or lighthearted chakra into her system.**

 **I changed the Gold Fox, Silver Wolf, and Emerald Tortoise to the Japanese versions (Respectfully listed:Ki Kitsune, Gin Okami, and Emerardo Kame) because I already use Inu, Kitsune, Kame, and others so I figured why not. I'll still stick to Water Style, Earth style, ect however because I don't really like translating every single jutsu… Black Raven and Bronze Tiger are Kuroi Kurasu and Seido Tora respectfully.**

 **Thanks for reading, review if you have suggestions or simply just to.**


	17. XVII- Third Exam

**Here it is, Chapter 17! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I managed to get this chapter and chapter 18 finished. I'm not sure whether or not I'm happy with this chapter, but I'll go back over it at a later time and change what I need to. Thanks for reading and reviewing to previous chapters, it's very appreciated!**

 **Disclaimer-Sadly, I only own the Oreshizoku clans, Doten-Shi Ken, his father, and my the plot of this story.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my land lord who gives me the perfect place to think about writing in peace.**

The crowds roared, their cheers echoing throughout the large red stadium for the Third Exams. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at the top on the Hokage platform, his red hat covering his dark skinned face from the blazing sun. To his left sat the Kazekage, wearing his own yellow Kage robes with the symbol for wind printed at the top of the hat and on the back of the coat.

Two Anbu, Madara as Kuroi Karasu, and Tobirama as Gin Okami, stood at his side. Both had their features under a henge so as not to be overly suspected, each dressed in their personalized ANBU uniforms.

"Hokage-Sama, it sure is a fine day, no?"

The scratchy voice of the Kazekage put the three Konoha Nin on edge, however they were careful not to show it. All of them knew exactly who the damned impersonator was, and what he had done.

"Yes, indeed it is. I'm eager to see this year's Genin."

The Kazekage smirked under the white cloth covering his face, eyes searching the arena before him. They roamed over the present Genin.

I~~~~I

"So you did come Pinky, guess you got guts after all."

Haruno Sakura turned and narrowed her green eyes on another set of emerald that stared back at her in boredom. Doten-Shi Ken walked toward her from the entrance gates, his posture loose but not quite relaxed. His tonto was wrapped completely in what seemed to be chakra infused bandages, his headband wrapped around his arm whilst his scarf remained on his neck. His red hair now had purple highlights, and it was let loose to fall over his shoulders with two braids framing his well-shaped face. Sakura herself for her gloves, a simple red and white blouse version of her dress, and black shorts. Her black ninja sandals hit the ground as she turned away from Doten-Shi. "I'm not going to run away, not when I can show these people that Konoha isn't a laughing stock."

The pinkette's eyes narrowed in determination whilst she looked around the stands.

Doten-Shi smiled softly at the reply, turning to follow her gaze. It landed on remnants of the Konoha 12 sitting in the stands, several members such as Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Uchiha Sasuke missing. Yamanaka Ino watched from her front row seat, waving to Sakura and Nara Shikamaru who stood behind them.

The Nara muttered and turned away whilst Sakura waved to her friend slightly, Doten-Shi looking around once more before resting his gaze on those standing in the middle of the arena with him. He nearly whistled upon noticing that Uzumaki Naruko wasn't among them.

The Subaku siblings stood together, the littlest one fidgeting and trying to not worry, whilst his siblings looked around as well.

Aburame Shino stood behind Shikamaru with his Kikaichu, or ninja bugs, buzzing around him. "Naru-San will be here."

They all paused and turned to the boy, whom merely looked to the side toward their proctor. It took everyone a moment to understand, but upon following his gaze they were surprised to see a spiraling bulb of dark red chakra forming beside the proctor.

The proctor was a Jonin with a Senbon in his mouth, his headband modified to be like a bandana that covered his head, his shaggy brown hair sticking out the bottom right above his brown eyes.

"Sorry about that…See, told you we'd be late Kakashi-Sensei."

The bulb bloomed, petals slowly seeping back into the ground to reveal a red haired girl with stunning sky blue eyes. Beside her stood her silver-haired scarecrow sensei, his hand resting on her shoulder as he read his book held in his other hand. "Maa, Maa, Naruko, we made it didn't we?"

The red head muttered under her breath and stared blankly at her teacher, whom removed his hand with a sigh. "Understood, I got you Naruko. I'll go inform Hokage-Sama."

The Jonin gave Sakura and Shikamaru and eye smile, the edges of his mask crinkling slightly as he vanished in a puff of smoke. "He's such a show off. Sorry about that Genma."

Naru barely ended the sentence before she sighed again, walking toward Sakura. The Jonin Proctor nodded numbly in shock, staring at the girl before him.

Naru's outfit had changed once again, and she now wore fishnet leggings with knee-length dark blue shorts, an orange swirl stitched on to the sides. Her top was a simple black tank, a dark green trench coat stretching down over her back, the kaki fabric having detailed black flames licking at the bottom. Pockets line the top, along with a hood. The jacket was sleeveless, fishnet going down her arms to her elbows where dark blue gloves reached down to her finger tip-less gloves. The Konoha plate was placed on the back of both her hands, and she had her headband around her shoulder blade, a necklace hanging around her neck. She had her hair pulled into two braids wrapped in ribbon to keep it out of her face, as well as a bun to hold the back into place and away from her neck. Her blade was strapped to her back, and she had five scrolls lining her left side of her jacket with her weapons pouch on the right side of her jacket. Attached to her shorts were little containers a little larger than Explosive tag size on the left side, Senbon holders at the right. She had knives strapped to her thighs, right outside her black combat boots.

"W-Well, since all the contestants are here we shall begin!"

Kinuta Dosu Frowned as he looked around, pausing to access the Konoha Nin. His eyes turned toward the redhead and he steeled his resolve. He was to fight her no matter what, so that meant getting rid of the competition no matter what. "Alright, my name is Shiranui and I'll be the Third Exam Proctor. Your matches have already been decided in advance by the Hokage and Kazekage, so I'll be calling down however is up. The rules are simple, whoever drops first, forfeits, or dies is declared the loser and their opponent moves on. First up in the matches is Kinuta Dosu Vs Haruno Sakura! All other contestants please wait in the box over there."

The Jonin pointed toward the small viewing box that they were to wait at, Naru muttering mutely before turning to Sakura. "Good luck Sakura-Chan."

Naruko offered a small smile to her teammate before heading off toward the booth. Doten-Shi nodded to the pinkette before repeating Naru's move. The Subaku siblings had already been Sand Shuinshined to the booth, and Dosu Kinuta stood before her. Shikamaru was the last to leave, giving a troublesome before smiling lazily at her. "Do what you need to Sakura." Sakura was surprised by the encouragement from the laziest Genin, but accepted it none-the-less. "Thanks Shikamaru. I'll win this one."

Shikamaru waved lazing and walked away, leaving her, Dosu, and Genma. "Don't start until I say so."

Genma set his hand up and looked at the two, Haruno shifting her stance so that her fist was raised slightly. He raised a brow before dropping his hand and getting out of the way. Dosu launched at his opponent right away, shocked when instead of punching him the girl slammed her fist into the ground. Everyone in the audience was astounded when the ground broke apart and Dosu tripped over the uneven dirt. Sakura tossed a barrage of Kunai and Shuriken at the nin as he struggled to get to his feet. He rolled to the side quickly, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face as Sakura continued her onslaught, staying a measurable distance from him.

"So you figured it out?"

Dosu grunted out the words as he dodged the seemingly endless supply of weapons that the girl had, flinching when several cut into his skin. He didn't notice the black ink at the tips of the weapons however, instead trying to figure out how the girl knew his technique's weakness. "It's not hard. You had to get close in order to do damage to me or to Kabuto. You go in for frontal attacks and use that to your advantage, sending sound waves from the amplifiers on your arms."

Sakura skidded to a halt and rearmed herself with tagged Kunai. "Amplifiers heighten the sound wave but they don't strengthen it, instead spreading it out more so it fades faster. With this in mind, I know your max distance without amplifying and with amplifying."

Dosu growled at the girl who had somehow outsmarted him, a burning rage in his chest as he thought of how weak the girl was. He didn't understand, even as the girl panted from the workout. She seemed different, refined, more like a Kunoichi than the half she had been before. He didn't see how a girl or person in general could change that much in one month. "By the way, the answer to your thoughts is that yes, someone can change this much in one month, but only if they do a specific training."

Sakura shivered as she recalled her hellish month, and the Sensei Kakashi and Sarutobi had both gotten her. "One with Mitarashi Anko."

Naru winced at the mention of the Snake Mistresses name, her hand ghosting to her neck, the high collar of her jacket hiding half of where it would be. _'Anko's teachings are scary…Almost like Kurama's. Just sitting through five days of that was torture, let alone a whole month.'_

Naruko truly had a newfound respect for her previously different teammate. She knew that the girl would mostly only be this mellow and out of it(in a good way) for a couple more days before returning to her slightly mellowed self. This fact didn't lessen her respect or her fear however, and the thoughts continued to make her shiver. "Naruko."

Naru turned to find Gaara standing beside her, a non-existent eyebrow slightly raised. His voice held uncertainty, as though he wasn't too sure if he shoulder approach her or leave it alone. "S-Sorry…just that Mitarashi-Sensei scares me."

The Tanuki Jinchuuriki seemed to be confused, however Naru didn't explain due to Sakura making her move.

Dosu leaped toward the Pinkette again, focused on hitting the damned brat with at least one attack. He was shocked however when he found that despite channeling chakra into his amplifiers, they wouldn't work. He had lunged without thinking too, so now he was in the perfect position for Sakura's jutsu. "Earth Style, Headhunter Jutsu!"

Sakura sunk into the ground, grabbing Dosu's ankles as her hand shot up under him before dragging him under with her. The Sound Nin was shocked, and was now unable to move let alone retaliate. His hands were held to her sides awkwardly and his head stuck out of the ground as Sakura rose from the ground before him, panting heavily. The girl smirked however, straightening to her full height as she took out a Kunai. "No hard feelings."

And with a slightly shaking hand Sakura slammed the butt-end of her Kunai into the Ninja's temple, effectively knocking him out. Genma looked at the scene in shock before clearing his throat. "Winner, Haruno Sakura!"

There were cheers almost right away, though Sakura ignored them in favor of walking toward the booth whilst her opponent was removed from the arena.

"W-Well next match is…"

Genma paused before speaking this time looking at the booth as the crowd's roars died down. "Doten-Shi Ken Vs Subaku No Kankuro!"

There was a pause as Kankuro looked to the leaf nin, before muttering softly. He raised his hand and called out to Genma. "Proctor, I forfeit!"

Ken frowned at Kankuro but sighed whilst Genma called his automatic win. Naru learned forward on the railing while Sakura talked absently with her, the two oddly relaxed. "Next match, Subaku Temari Vs Aburame Shino!" Temari huffed and with a nod to her brothers, extended her fan. She hopped over the railing and adjusted it under her, gliding down toward the middle of the arena where Genma stood. Shino silently walked out of the booth, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naru all giving him their own forms of encouragement.

The Aburame stopped when he reached the middle, pushing his black glasses up onto the bridge of his nose again, his green jacket letting out soft ruffling sounds. "It seems I'll be fighting you. I won't hold back because you are female, I'll give you your fair fight."

Shino's monotone voice sent a slight shiver down Temari's back, but she didn't let her slight discomfort show. "Whatever bug-boy. I'll squash you just like your insects."

Genma looked to them both before stepping back, his hand raised. "Start!"

The sudden command did little to confuse the two fighters, instead spurring them forward. Temari lashed out with her fan, a swift gust of wind slamming into Shino. Shino merely split apart into thousands of _kikaichu_ , the gust flying into one of the trees in the arena. The tree gained a large angry slice in the middle, before promptly falling over. "Bug clone…sheesh."

Temari shivered at the bugs and stepped back as she surveyed the area. She checked each of the four basic directions, frowning slightly when she couldn't locate the boy. "Above."

The monotone voice had her head shooting up just as a swarm of _kikaichu_ descended upon her from the sky, her muffled scream causing most of the females to flinch. Naru however tilted her head as she surveyed the scene, a small smirk on her lips. Sakura shivered at the scene.

"Wind Style, Wind Cyclone!"

The roar of anger, embarrassment, and disgust was heard from the middle of the swarm, Shino jumping backward a couple feet as his bugs were once again launched in different directions. "You are so going to pay for that you bastard!"

Temari raised her head and glared darkly at Shino as she reared back her fan. "Wind Style, Wind Sycle!"

With each waved of her fan highly compressed air blades were scent after Shino, whom leaped and tumbled to dodge them, landing with ease as his _kikaichu_ strayed from the dangerous blasts so they wouldn't be minced. "Dammit…stay still!"

The Sand Kunoichi continued her onslaught as Shino made his way around the arena, growing more exhausted as the one-sided battle dragged on.

"Oi, Shino, hurry up!"

Kiba called up from his spot beside Hinata Hyuga, whom was watching her teammate's battle with rapt interest. The Inuzuka was growling at the prospect of none of his team making it to Chunin after all their hard work. He needed Shino to win this damned fight, not lose! "Come on Shino!"

The Inuzuka called out once more, his teammate unnoticeably twitching as he heard his obnoxious friend.

"I often wonder how I have not killed him by this point."

Shino finally stopped as Temari was growing just as tired as he was, grunting in annoyance as she gently panted. She had used a lot of chakra on her wind attacks, and while Shino was also tired he was only physically tired, and had a lot of chakra still. Shino raised his hand, his _kikaichu_ suddenly going straight toward Temari whilst he settled in his footing and grabbed a kunai.

He said nothing as Temari tried to escape, only to be cornered. The bugs started to eat at the little chakra she had left, forcing her to her knees. She held onto her fan, but was suddenly forced to freeze when Shino appeared behind her, his kunai at her back near her spinal cord. "Forfeit."

Shino was calm and collected as his opponent panted gently before him, her eyes widened once she processed what had happened. Genma, who now grew closer upon seeing the predicament that Temari was in, raised his hand to call the match. Gritting her teeth, Temari scowled at Shino. "I-I forfeit…"

Shino removed the Kunai and held out his hand for her to take, mild surprise going through Temari before she ignored his hand and stood on her own. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Temari turned and stalked toward the booths, Shino sighing and turning to Genma in what seemed like a resigned state. "Winner, Aburame Shino!"

I~~~~I

The man looked up as the wind blew by, the smell of rain brought along with the cooling breeze. In his right hand he held a sapphire lily, still wet with morning dew. His violet eyes switched toward the graves he stood in front of, and he crouched down. He set down the flower before the moss covered stones, along with a container.

"Lady Orama, I hope you will forgive me for what I have done. I cannot forgive that bastard Snake for taking you away…"

The man took a deep breath.

"I can't forgive him for destroying one of my purposes. I can stop him from doing it again however, and I will. Your granddaughter's little sister has taken up your name and seeks to change the world for the better, even though unconventional methods. She cares so much for your granddaughter, but doesn't understand just how dangerous that is for her. You warned your daughter before, about the Uchiha and how they can deceive and carry heavy burdens. You taught me how their love is their greatest strength and also their absolute weakness because it can just as easily turn to a destructive hate. Still, she married and conceived with Iraku under the pretense of love and family. Her daughter died, passing on her own bloodline toward Namikaze Naruko. She has no idea the burden she bears, the burden of constantly having to fear love out of protection. I only hope that what I will reveal to her will help, and that your granddaughter will keep her from choosing the path of revenge as I have done."

Sighing heavily, the man stared at the stones, brushing his fingers over the moss. It pulled away with ease, revealing a circular symbol. The symbol had the Uzumaki swirl with a couple more rings that normal, three dots in a pyramid shape inside the third ring, and two swords crossing diagonally with a lady's fan in the middle and another sword drawn through the middle. The symbol was the same as the one on his coat, the same as his necklace and his sons. It was the symbol of the Oreshizoku Clan. "I failed you, I failed your daughter, and I failed her daughter…but I won't fail on the last remnants of my two clans. I am Uzumaki by blood, but Oreshizoku by heart. I will help Naruko along the path, even if it leads me to my end. That is my promise, as your guard Lady Orama, I will protect her and your legacy, to the end."

With a final brush of his finger, the man stood, taking a deep breath. "I, Uzumaki Temashi Kira swear this, on the last royal blood in my veins."

I~~~~I

"The Next match consists of Nara Shikamaru Vs Uzumaki Naruko!"

Boos were echoed around the arena at the sound of Naruko's name, however the girl paid it no heed. Instead she jumped over the railing on the booth, landing gracefully on the ground before walking to the center. She smirked even as the audience yelled for Shikamaru to show the red head her place. Genma frowned at the irrational display of hate from the villagers, surprised at Naru's unethical reaction. From the booths, Sakura hit Shikamaru in his back, forcing him down into the Arena despite his protests. He turned to glare at the Pinkette, flinching slightly at the glare he got in return. "Troublesome women…"

Shika muttered under his breath, slouching toward the middle of the arena where his female opponent stood. Naru shook her head at him, her lips twitching upward in amusement. He frowned and looked away, fighting against the knowing embarrassment. Genma stepped back as the two stood before one another.

Shikamaru once again faced the red haired girl. He noted how her shoulders were relaxed slightly, not nearly as tense as they used to be in the academy. He noticed that her smirk wasn't fake and that she seemed to be showing her actual emotions and not a façade. Her hair blew to the side and covered her mouth for a moment whilst the red head settled into her Taijutsu stance. "You better give it your all Shikamaru."

Naru's voice was full of confidence and a hint of happiness. Shikamaru had no doubt that the girl was glad to be fighting him, and not the red haired Subaku character. "Ugh…Fine, it's troublesome."

Naru seemed to withhold the urge to roll her eyes as Shikamaru's eyes hardened and he slipped into a careful Taijutsu stance. Between the two, Genma found himself interested in who would in fact win. "Begin!"

The Jonin jumped back as Naru moved forward in a dark green and red blur.

A soft ringing was heard and her hand struck at Shikamaru's wrists. The Nara backed away quickly trying to gain ground so he could use his clan's shadow possession Jutsu. Naru didn't allow him to however, her strikes coming at him in little more than a blur of precise movement.

Shikamaru grunted when her palm hit his chest, barely avoiding a cracked rib by pulling to the side. He huffed and pulled out a Kunai, aiming at Naru. She pulled back to avoid the blow, and he took this as his chance and dropped a smoke bomb down and immediately fled farther away from the girl. His heart pounded and he sighed as he hid behind one of the trees, his hands coming together in an odd pose. He relaxed himself and his chakra dwindled down next to nothing whilst he began to run through strategies inside his head.

Meanwhile, Naruko stood in the smoke, her body relaxed despite the battle she was in. She stood lax in the middle of the arena, arms crossing under her chest as she looked around for Shikamaru in mild interest. She wanted a good fight, and currently couldn't find the boy despite looking. She glanced behind her, to her sides, below and above, before raising her hands into a familiar gesture. Her eyes caught the eyes of Hiruzen as they came down from on high, copies of her appearing inside the arena. There were at least 40 in total, several of them stretching before removing their coats, whilst others conversed among themselves as they waited for Shikamaru. The shadows of her clones were all spread apart however, and each of them watched another's back just in case Shikamaru tried to link them together.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked down at the battle with a soft smile, glad to see that Naruko was growing up. From beside him his two Treasury Guards watched as well, Tobirama's arms crossed over his chest just like Madara's. They both seemed content with the match, despite knowing who sat right across from them with his adviser. Orochimaru was a sneaky bastard, and the Sand Nin didn't even know it. Well, the Subaku siblings knew and were the reason why Sarutobi had come to the assumption that the Kazekage had been compromised. He theorized that it was all thanks to his student, and so far the theory was only becoming more of a fact. Below him Shikamaru had suddenly made his move however, which dragged the old man from his thoughts. He watched as Shikamaru sent out a barrage of Kunai, popping several of the Shadow Clones as he moved into the group. He stopped and activated his Clan jutsu as the Naru's suddenly spread out. One remained in the middle, watching as the shadow caught five of her clones, the others managing to land in spots where they couldn't be reached. The middle Naru smirked at this and flashed through hand signs whilst channeling her chakra. The signs were familiar not just to Sarutobi but also to Tobirama, as they had both seen Orama and Michiko use it many times before.

"35 Seals Style, Geyser Arena Summoning Jutsu!"

Naru slammed her right palm into the ground as she channeled her chakra through her feet and hand, boiling the water beneath the surface. She was grateful that they were near the river that ran through Konoha, as it meant that she didn't use nearly as much chakra as she had to that last time she used the technique in a duel. However, despite the cracks appearing in the ground, Shikamaru remained in place. It seemed he had realized that her jutsu also had a space limit, precisely 35 meters. He was at 38 meters, which meant he had room to move and still be safe. "Well I guess that is to be expected from a genius like you Shikamaru, however that is not the only Seals technique I have. It's just a family favorite."

Naru smirked at the boy and his eyes widened when she flew through several more hand signs, this time roving through several wind and water signs. "20 Seals Style, Vulpine Storm!"

There was a deep boom, much like lightening, when her palms slammed together. It was a contradicting seal, mostly used for earth but now used to channel water. Her eyes lit up as a blue tempest was drawn from the raging hot waters of the geysers around her. The wind picked up and it grew to surround the water, morphing it into a fox-like shape.

The fox charged toward Shikamaru as the water spread out inside it, steam coming off it in waves whilst the wind rushed after it. The geysers faded in the background, the water drawn upward spent on Naru's other technique. Shikamaru cursed and jumped back whilst letting go of the clones, grabbing several exploding tags from his pocket as he went through several plans. He tossed the kunai at the raging vulpine creature, the explosions forcing the fox apart.

With one last roar the fox split, hot water raining down onto Shikamaru as the wind threatened to knock him off his feet. He was shocked at the amount of power in the attack, and how Naru seemed barely exhausted at all, only a slight labor in her breathing show casing the extended chakra usage. His hands were brought up as he covered his head, wincing when the small, hot, needle-like drops raining down on his bare skin. He inwardly cursed both Naru and himself.

From the booth Ken watched with rapt interest beside Sakura and between Shino and Temari, his eyes widening upon seeing the jutsu. The jutsu was modified, originally being called 'Gale Storm' however Naruko seemed to have excellent Wind mastery which led to the creation of the Vulpine form of the jutsu. "Amazing."

Ken whispered under his breath, watching the girl head straight toward her opponent after the rain had faded. The Nara she faced was quick to retaliate and keep her away, forcing her back once more when he was able to reactivate his shadow possession. "What was that, Doten-Shi?"

Ken glanced to the side toward Naruko's female teammate, surprised that the girl looked interested in what he thought of the match. "You use the Seals Style too…so is the jutsu Naru used really complicated or what?"

The girl was blunt, but to be honest Ken was glad for it. He hated beating around the bush in general, and really didn't want to converse too much right now. "Yes, however not in the way you think. What Uzumaki did is a modified version of the original 20 Seals Jutsu she just performed. It's odd in a way, but not unexpected how she was able to mold the wind chakra to shape the Malestorm Kitsune."

The boy paused and his lips twitched upward. "A fitting name for that jutsu really, instead of Vulpine Storm. They basically mean the same thing after all, but a Malestorm can actually be warm, the storm can't."

Naru dodged the weapons flung at her while avoiding Shikamaru's steadily advancing shadow. She was careful to watch for the extending of the arena shadow and the tree shadows, her eyes surveying the area and the sky as she tried to figure out what the Nara was planning. He was steadily running out of chakra, not having nearly as much chakra as Naruko herself had. She thanked her mom for her insane reserves at the moment, or at least above average reserves. She had around high-Chunin on her own, paired with her constant Chakra Control exercises meant she could make it last as long as a low-Jonin. All in all, these facts and actions led to Shikamaru being royally screwed unless he unleashed an amazing plan, which Naruko counted upon. She could read Shikamaru like he could read her, and right now, he was trying to get her to drop her guard for even a moment so he could enact his plan.

Tobirama paused when he saw Naru's jutsu, memories of a smiling cyan haired girl performing a technique with a rather close name and ability surfacing. His heart clenched at the thought of Orama Hyuga, or Oreshizoku as she became known as later on. The fact that she was a branch member was something he hadn't cared about back then, instead helping he in whatever way he could whenever. The girl was talented and had constantly wanted to improved, to show him that she was growing. He could tell that in a way, he had become a father for the poor girl, and after he had died she couldn't have been the same. The sadness he felt over the fact that Orama had died not knowing what she meant to him, not knowing how hard and easy at the same time it was when he chose to sacrifice himself for his village. It was hard because he would never see her again, but it was easy because it meant that she would continue to grow, that she would survive and flourish when he passed on. He was protecting the village, yes, but most importantly he was protecting that little girl who wanted so much to become a Kunoichi he would be proud to call his student and illegitimate daughter. And now, barely 35 years after her death he was watching the friend of her granddaughter fight with the same heart and knowledge Orama had fought with all those years ago. _'Naruko.'_

Tobirama felt a blissful smile pass his lips, hidden under the mask he wore. She certainly would have made her sister proud, and earned the respect of the Oreshizoku Clan.

Shikamaru panted heavily, grunting as he felt his chakra coils contract. It seemed he was at the end of his rope. He sighed, choosing to get the match over with. His mind felt exhausted but he also was relieved. He had gotten to fight Naruko and had survived a hell of a lot longer than Neji had against the Troublesome carrot top. He looked up to see Naruko walking toward him, her breathing a little more labored after dodging his shadows and weapons, though even with her within range Shikamaru felt his shadow draw back toward him. "Looks like I win, Shikamaru. That was a nice match however. You did great."

The red head stood before him, smiling softly. She seemed hesitant to smile, much like Subaku Gaara had been earlier when she had addressed him. Genma walked up from behind them as Shikamaru grunted. "Whatever Troublesome Uzumaki."

Naru laughed lightly, the sound like music, before appearing in front of Shikamaru. A kunai rested at his neck, and she held out two fingers to him. His eyes widened slightly, shock filling him. He was surprised to see the gesture from so long ago, the sign of equality amongst fellow ninjas other than their headbands. "Winner, Uzumaki Naruko!"

Genma called out, Shikamaru reaching out and grasping Naru's fingers with two of his own, her hand flipping the kunai around before setting it in her Weapon's pouch. "Good match overall, Shikamaru-Kun."

The display of friendship, the uncertain smiles, the drawn out words all told him that Naru was confused herself, that she wanted to do this but wasn't sure why. He wondered what happened to her to get rid of that dark girl that he had seen when her mask came off. He paused to shake before parting from her, nearly falling over from exhaustion as she helped him to the booth.

Naruko was a strange girl, and it seemed like when her first mask came off, it simply revealed another mask. He sighed heavily and shook his head as it pounded, his temples aching. Troublesome Uzumaki indeed.

I~~~~I

Uzumaki Temashi crouched on one of the roofs of the Arena, his eyes narrowed on the two Konoha Nin walking away from the field. He was surprised himself at the gesture from his fellow Uzumaki, wondering for a moment whether she was simply being influenced by the residue white chakra or acting on her own. From the clear signs of hesitation on her part, he guessed the latter of the two options. He shook his head in sadness as he thought about what was soon to happen. Naruko had just barely gotten used to caring about those around her, this would possibly ruin that if Temashi wasn't careful. "Naruko…"

The man shook his head again and stood to his full height, not even flinching when in a flash of yellow, Minato Namikaze decked in his Gold Fox Treasury uniform appeared behind him. "You, what do you want with Naruko?"

Temashi turned around, facing the Yondaime as he allowed himself to smile wistfully. "It's my duty to protect her, Minato."

A flash of purple was all the warning Minato got before seals suddenly expanded from where Temashi stood, surrounding the blonde haired man before climbing high up. The seals obscured them from view whilst Temashi dragged his hand through his hair, his braids coming undone whilst he met Minato's eyes through his mask. "Remove your mask, no one will see you here. I wish to see the face of the man who allowed Kushina-Hime and Michiko Oreshizoku to accept their graves!"

Temashi's eyes darkened as he allowed his anger for Konoha, his anger for the man before him to surface. Purple chakra chains built up around him along with dark red petals, going up to 12 in number. His jacket flew up and he let it slip from his shoulders to reveal his black shirt and grey cargo pants with black ninja sandals. "Show me the face of Konoha's Yellow Flash, and maybe I'll answer what you want to know."

I~~~~I

It was sudden, an unexpected turn that cause Naru's blood to go ice cold. Her gaze instantly snapped upward to the spiraling seals that formed a box around a red haired man with a black cloak and an Anbu with a gold fox mask. "Shit."

Naru held her hands up and formed a shadow clone as Shikamaru stared at her in shock. She didn't tell him anything, instead handing him to the clone as she forced her chakra to activate. "N-Naru-!"

The Uzumaki didn't hear the rest of Shikamaru's statement, feathers falling from the sky as she appeared in a swirl of bright red chakra right on the Hokage platform, between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin had removed his disguise, his eyes narrowed on the red head whom stood between him and his sensei. Beside him, Baki his adviser was frozen in shock. "Bastard Orochimaru, killing the Kazekage for your own gain…Using Gaara as a weapon to sate your desires is pathetic!"

Naru glared at the man as she shook in anger, the surprised Hokage behind her snapping from his daze as the two Treasury members stepped forward to intervene. "Too bad you suck at reading people."

Her words drew the Snake Sannin's eyes toward the arena, where Gaara stood protecting the exhausted Konoha Nins, Sand Nin and Sound Nin being kept at bay as his brother protected him. "Gaara isn't a tool Orochimaru…And neither am I!"

Naru stood her ground as the Sannin shook in anger, the two Treasury shinobi launching forward just as he launched himself at the girl before him. "Y-You brat!"

Naru flashed through hand signs even as Tobirama reached out to stop her, wind chakra building up in her chest. "Wind Style, Air Bullet Jutsu!"

The air slammed into the angry Sannin, sending him up onto the roof, sliding along the tiles as he glared at her in anger. She launched after him, landing on the roof while Tobirama and Hiruzen followed. She was visibly warn from the attack, but didn't move even as Tobirama gripped her shoulder and Hiruzen stalked in front of her. "Naruko! You will stay here, Orochimaru is too powerful for you!"

Hiruzen glared back at the girl, but only got a glare in return. He turned to face his former student in order to avoid the hatred swarming in the young girl's eyes.

"Y-You will pay for that…S-sharingan or not, you ruined it! You ruined my plan and I will have your head for it Kyuubi Brat!"

Orochimaru had recovered during the brief scolding time, and now stood shakily before them as he barked out orders. "Sound Four, set up the barrier now!"

There was a soft rustling before four different nin appeared at four different spots on the roof, finishing a series of hand signs. "Four Violet Flames Formation Jutsu!"

They each were swallowed in a deep purple light that soon grew and attached to the each other, the ceiling becoming covered with the purple barrier. "Quite a deadly jutsu for some kids Orochimaru."

Naru spoke up from where she stood, Tobirama's grip tightening on her shoulder. She didn't seem to care however, her blue eyes darkened before turning red, the tomo in the eye spiraling as the seal on her neck started to pulse. She winced this time, the white chakra forcing her down to her knees. "S-Shit…"

Naruko's sharingan flashed and Tobirama looked to Madara. The Uchiha nodded before stepping up beside Sarutobi, whom glared at his student whilst the Snake Sannin licked his lips. "All the better to kill you all with."

The Sannin smirked and flashed through his own hand signs. There was another flash as Madara took off toward the Sannin, only to be stopped by a blade slicing into his arm. He looked in shock and annoyance toward the culprit, only to face dark green eyes on a red haired boy. "No hard feelings, Uchiha-Sama."

Ken spoke up, not at all affected by the sharingan Madara had directed on him. The arm that Ken had removed was slowly piecing itself together, however it stopped halfway down, a seal appearing where he had sliced into the arm. "Thank you Ken-Kun…"

Ken didn't look back at Orochimaru, flinching under the name as the sound of the tiles being torn apart echoed in the barrier. He jumped backwards, landing beside the Sannin with his blade drawn and ready, his skin shimmering in the sunlight. Three Coffins had risen behind him, Hiruzen's face contracted in horror as he saw the symbols on two of them. "Shit."

It was Tobirama who spoke, the coffins popping open. Orochimaru smirked in victory as he watched the horrified looks that his teacher and the Kyuubi brat gave him. "N-No…"

Standing before them was a black haired-blue eyed man with a high colored black shirt and light gray cargo shorts. He wore a sword on his back and had several scrolls and small tag canisters at his waist and his thigh. He blinked in confusion, looking at Hiruzen whilst the red head beside him gasped in shock. Her eyes were violet and her hair went past her waist, a red dress covering her as well as black pants. She had a weapons pouch strapped to her thigh and one strapped to her side. Last, standing farthest to the right was another red haired woman with violet eyes and a red dress, her hair put up into traditional buns while she wore a scroll on her back and several at her waist. "Hiruzen-kun."

She spoke first among the three, Naruko's eyes watering whilst she stared at the women in the middle. "It seems Tobirama's jutsu had backfired."

Uzumaki Mito spoke, Uzumaki Kushina's chest tightening as she stared at the red haired girl behind Hiruzen, Uchiha Iraku spoke up in annoyance, anger, and confusion.

"Well Kami damn this shit..."

 **And Done! That was really long and I am very happy with it. Not another filler thankfully, and I hopefully got all the mistakes and mistypes. PARCC testing just finished last week and this week passed by too quickly for me to really notice. EOC's are next and I am not looking forward to them. The PARCC testing really messed with me and made me stress out more so than normal, so I doubt it'll be much better for the EOC's. Oh well, I'll get through it somehow, thanks for reading this chapter!**

 **Tamashi Kira Uzumaki is my OC, and his name means Soul Killer. He is a royal guard from the Uzumaki that was sworn to protect Orama Oreshizoku by her husband, but failed. I won't reveal much else here, since that would spoil the rest of the storyline.**

 **Kushina, Iraku, and Mito have been Edo-Tensei'd! Can't wait to write how that plays out, and Minato's battle with Tamashi should be pretty interesting. I have been wanting to reveal Tamashi's identity for quite a while now, so that was a relief.**

 **(6-28-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 _ **20 Seals Style, Vulpine Storm(Malestorm Kitsune/Naruto Kitsune)Jutsu or Gale Storm**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements-**_ _B Rank. Requirements include Semi-High chakra levels, mid chakra control, mid wind manipulation, and mediocre knowledge of seals._

 _ **Description -Vupline Verson-**_ _A fox made of hot or cold swirling water compressed with wind that attacks the enemy in lunges or by exploding and sending hot water at them._

 _ **Gale Version**_ **-** _A large compressed water whirlwind that can spread or compress at the will and strength of the user's wind manipulation_

 _ **Known Users-Naruko Akihane Uzumaki**_

 _ **Orama Oreshizoku**_

 _ **Michiko Oreshizoku**_

 _ **Four Violet Flames Formation Jutsu**_

 _ **Rank and basic requirements-**_ _A-Rank. Requirements include four people with high chakra control_

 _ **Description-**_ _A large purple barrier erected from four corner points with made by four people channeling their chakra. It is known to vaporize objects on contact and is a forbidden technique._

 _ **Known Users-Sound Four**_


	18. XVIII- End Battle

**And here is Chapter 18. I honestly am surprised I have gotten this far, and with so much support from you guys. Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! This story is drawing to a close, the Tsunade Retrieval Arc and the Uchiha Betrayal Arc the only ones left before Shippuden happens. That in mind, I was wondering if I should keep the Kage after the Two year time skip or if they should be released. This is up to you guys, since I don't mind whichever way it goes.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, only this story Plotline and my OCs**

 **Chapter dedicated to Pandora, the one place that has all my music.**

 _Standing before them was a black haired-blue eyed man with a high colored black shirt and light gray cargo shorts. He wore a sword on his back and had several scrolls and small tag canisters at his waist and his thigh. He blinked in confusion, looking at Hiruzen whilst the red head beside him gasped in shock. Her eyes were violet and her hair went past her waist, a red dress covering her as well as black pants. She had a weapons pouch strapped to her thigh and one strapped to her side. Last, standing farthest to the right was another red haired woman with violet eyes and a red dress, her hair put up into traditional buns while she wore a scroll on her back and several at her waist. "Hiruzen-kun." She spoke first among the three, Naruko's eyes watering whilst she stared at the women in the middle. "It seems Tobirama's jutsu had backfired." Uzumaki Mito spoke, Uzumaki Kushina's chest tightening as she stared at the red haired girl behind Hiruzen, Uchiha Iraku spoke up in annoyance, anger, and confusion. "Well Kami damn this shit."_

Iraku turned to glare at Orochimaru, the tomo in his Sharingan deathly still as it activated in both his eyes, covering the blue orbs. "You Snake Bastard, I'll skin you like the asshole you-"

Iraku's crude rant was cut off when Orochimaru spoke up to him. "Oh yes, you and your damned mouth Iraku. Always did hate you Uchiha."

The Snake Sannin didn't try to hide his distaste for the man in front of him, glaring right back. The confronted man was about to sneer out a comeback when he heard Kushina speak up from beside him. "A-Akihane…?"

The questioning statement made him turn back toward where the small girl brought to her knees sat beside an Anbu member with a silver wolf mask, her eyes wide with a sharingan spinning inside them, her hair unmistakably red and spiky. Her skin was sun kissed and she had some baby fat on her cheeks, though there was no mistaking the likeness to Iraku's deceased friend. "She looks like a copy of Minato-Kun."

Iraku's voice dropped an octave and caught in his throat as he realized that Minato's kid had just been born when he had kicked the bucket. "Shit."

He whispered once more, watching as tears built in Kushina's eyes as she eyed her daughter. The kid looked to be at least 12 or 13, meaning that Iraku had been dead for over 12 years. "M-Mother…"

The copy spoke up to the youngest revived Uzumaki, her voice cracking under sadness as her hands clenched by her sides. Her sharingan halted in its spinning whilst she shook, the seriousness of the situation causing a thick tension to surround them. Her teeth ground down into her bottom teeth and she turned her hate filled gaze toward the monster standing behind them all. "You fucking bastard, you brought my mother into this!? _You used Edo Tensei on my_ _Mother?!"_

It was unmistakable, with her shaking and the dark red chakra leaking from her, what was happening. Iraku himself had seen it when he and his eldest son had found out who had killed his twin children. The combination of the sharingan and blood style, the over powering emotions that had come from his eldest son when they had confronted Miko and Mila's killers. "You should never have messed with me, Kyuubi Brat!"

The outraged yell from the target of the small girl's ire spoke up, venom dripping from his words as he sneered at the outraged Jichuuriki. The Anbu beside the girl was forced to back away when a wave a blood chakra surged outward and the girl rose to her feet. From in front of her, Hiruzen moved to the side, whilst the second Anbu member mere feet away from them raised his hand to his blade strapped to his back. From behind them Iraku heard a yell and turned to see a boy with red hair and green eyes glaring at Orochimaru. "You…You'd use something like this?!"

Orochimaru wasn't allowed to gloat any further or answer the other red head, instead shouting in surprise when Akihane appeared in front of him, grabbing his throat whilst her sharingan stared into his eyes. " _I'LL MURDER YOU!"_

Kushina collapsed from where she stood, shaking whilst Mito turned sharply toward the Jinchuuriki, eyes wide from the shock of Akihane's speed. The Silver Wolf Anbu shouted at the girl and stepped forward as though he would confront the red head. "Naruko!"

Tobirama called out in a commanding and worried tone, his voice raised several octaves. The girl paused for a moment upon hearing her name, twitching as she clutched the Sannin's throat. She seemed unsure of what to do, despite hating the man she held with every fiber of her being. Blood dripped from where her now sharpened nails dug into his neck while Orochimaru glared at the girl. She barely lessened her grip for a moment of indecisiveness, given Orochimaru the opening he needed.

The Hebi Sannin's head suddenly shot out from his neck, the entire thing stretching as he aimed to bite Naruko's own neck right where Iraku sensed a buildup of chakra. The sick man was forced to stop when the hidden seal started to glow from the chakra buildup, bright white chakra bursting forward from it.

A black seal was left in its place, the released chakra shoving Orochimaru away from Naruko whilst the girl herself fell flat on her back several meters away, grunting in pain whilst the red tiles dug into her back.

Iraku's breath caught in his throat when he saw the white chakra swirl and form a girl that stood in front of Naruko, the blood chakra leaking from said girl being dragged into her milky white skin where it was converted to white chakra.

Her cyan hair barely covered her midnight blue eyes, and she stood at maybe 3"6'. She was dressed in a white battle kimono with a black obi, her tiny hands pointed toward Orochimaru.

"Get the hell away from my little sister Orochimaru!"

I~~~~I

Minato reached his hand up, removing the golden mask that covered his face. As the porcelain was removed, the henge seal was also deactivated. His hair turned back to its sunshine yellow, his cyan eyes narrowed on Temashi with a hint of shock inside them. "How did you know? And what's your connection to Kushina and Orama-san?"

Tamashi continued to glare at the Yondaime, his hands grasping his blades. "It's not hard when you are an Uzumaki Sensory ninja. We don't just see chakra after all, we see souls as the extension to the chakra as well."

Tamashi unsheathed his blade and fell into the stance that Minato had seen a dozen times before with Michiko Oreshizoku, only slightly modified from the original Oreshizoku compounded style. Minato drew his own blade, shifting into a loose stance that focused on speed instead of power. It was the stance known as the Wind Taijutsu Style, formatted slightly to fit his own abilities. "As for your second question, my name should say it all. I am Uzumaki Temashi Kira, Orama Oreshizoku's personal guard."

Nothing more was said, Minato's second round of questions stopped by Temashi's blade slamming into his own. Sparks flew and Minato twisted away from the Uzumaki, blocking another blow and parrying in order to deliver one of his own. His katana arched downward, aiming to remove Temashi's right arm. The Nin blocked it effortlessly however, pushing Minato back with a small burst of strength before relaxing his muscles once more. His stance focused on agility and precise movements, not powerful strikes, so it was best to keep his muscles loose.

Jumping back Temashi went through hand signs, the seal barrier expanding whilst he called out. "Fire Style, Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

He fired the jet stream of fire toward Minato, his blade coming back around as he readied himself. In a moment Minato appeared beside him, a Hirashin Kunai slamming into the wall of the barrier. The kunai was absorbed moments later and Minato launching himself back at Temashi in a blur of blows. He aimed to land even a tap on the man in order to transfer his Hirashin seal onto him, but Temashi seemed to know this and he was constantly avoiding being struck.

They traded blows of steal against steal once more, the grinding echoing in the expanding barrier. The barrier finally stopped when it reached the other edge of the roof, both the nin fighting along the middle beam on the high 'ground'. Their blades struck repeatedly against each other, Temashi twisting at unimaginable angles whilst Minato focused on speeding up in order to get a hit on the man. Temashi, growing tired of the constant exchanges, channeled chakra into his blade. The blade began to glow purple and the chakra surged before vanishing inside Temashi's katana. Temashi's blade hit Minato's, the blade fizzling where it touched Minato's, the Yondaime immediately backing away whilst Temashi continued to glare at him. "Smart."

Temashi launched himself once more at the Fourth Hokage, putting him on the ropes.

I~~~~I

" _Get the hell away from my sister Orochimaru!"_

Naru was staring at Sashiko's form in utter shock, confusion, and horror. She couldn't understand how her sister was standing in front of her, looking barely 7 years old, her eyes a faded midnight blue. "W-Who are you?!"

The Sannin hissed out the demand at Sashiko as he got up, receiving a smirk in turn whilst she maintained her hate filled glare directed at the Snake man. "Oreshizoku Sashiko, _asshole_."

She turned away from the Sannin after answering him, crouching beside Naruko. The Red head flinched and pulled away from the girl, Sashi unable to hide her wince of pain as her chest contracted. "N-Naru-Chan?"

Sashi tried to smile, hiding her hurt well as the girl stared at her. "S-Sashiko?"

Sashi nodded slowly, holding up her pinky. "Y-Yup…I-I'm so sorry Naruko…S-So sorry. I-I suppose you found the box in the house t-though? I mean I hope y-you di-"

Sashiko didn't get to finish before Naruko slapped her, cyan eyes widening when she was forced to meet a three tomo sharingan. "You…You just…"

Naru gripped her shoulders tightly, shaking as the information threatened to overtake her. "Shh Naruko."

Sashiko's white chakra began to expand around the two, Sashiko pulling Naruko close and hugging her tight despite being smaller than her. "It'll all end alright, just you wait."

The cyannette focused on comforting her 'little' sister, relaxing her posture.

From behind the two Orochimaru clenched his fists, growling once more. "You…"

The Hebi flashed through hand signs quickly, firing a wave of snakes at the two wordlessly. He was getting more annoyed with the children as time went by, wanting them to die already. In only a moment however, Doten-Shi appeared in front of the sisters, flashing through his own hand signs. He glared defiantly at Orochimaru, standing to his full height. "50 Seals Style, Great Storm Arena Summoning Jutsu!"

Lightning chakra shot from the boy's hands whilst water began to pool from the atmosphere surrounding them in the barrier. Ken started to sweat whilst the lightning flashed and struck down upon the snakes, frying them before the rush of water fell straight through their bodies. The water drops were much like needles, sharpened through Ken's chakra whilst the lightning was summoned by rubbing his chakra together at intervals within the storm.

Clouds gathered under the ceiling of the barrier, the rain heading toward Orochimaru. Sashiko glanced back at their savior with slight awe in her eyes. "You know, I'm really sick of your shit Orochimaru. My father said to wait a little longer, but too be completely honest I can't just stand back as you use _the dead_ to win your battles."

Ken shouted at the Sannin, pushing a little more chakra into his attack.

Madara eyed the boy as he stepped forward, appearing beside Naruko and Sashi. "Tch, took you long enough Madara-San."

Ken glanced back at the Uchiha, his eyes glowing at an almost Neon Green, his pupil turning white. "You…" Madara narrowed his eyes behind his mask whilst the three new Edo-Tenseis stared at him in shock. "I see souls, it's my Kekai Genkai. It was almost too easy to figure out who you and the other Anbu are. Namikaze Minato, Senju Tobirama and Hashirama, followed by you, Uchiha Madara."

Ken glanced toward Tobirama upon mentioning him, his eyes dimming as the pupil turned black and his eyes became forest green. "Huh, I didn't think your father was alive still…from what my Mother told me and the scrolls I read, your father is Uzumaki Tamashi Kira."

Sashi spoke up this time, still holding her sister close. Naru was still staring at her as though she'd disappear at any moment, Iraku looking to his daughter with a sense of sadness while Naru held onto her. From behind them Orochimaru was trying to dodge the onslaughting rain that could very well tear him apart. Ken glared at the snake man, noticing the storm fading away. "I wasn't able to put much chakra into my Jutsu, so if you are going to fight I would prepare yourself now."

Orochimaru looked toward him with hatred and disgust, his hand raising as he looked to the Edo Tenseis. "Finish them…"

Ken turned sharply, just in time to watch a kunai enter Mito's head, her eyes going glassy. He looked toward the others, just as other kunai with tags entered Iraku's and Kushina's heads. Madara was quick to push Mito back away from the two girls, whilst Ken drew his sword and Sarutobi landed behind him facing Orochimaru. Tobirama was in front of them, holding up his blade. "It seems we are in quite the predicament."

Kushina's eyes darkened and she drew the blade on her back, rushing Ken with blank eyes. Tobirama moved to help the boy, only to be launched away by a roundhouse kick to his chest dealt by Iraku. The man flashed through hand signs while he landed beside Tobirama, lightning appearing in each of his hands. "Lightning style, Lightning Bomb!"

The lightning condensed in a swirling sphere of chakra, much like the rasengan, before Iraku used _Kawarimi_ in order to escape the explosion that followed.

Ken brought his blade up just in time to block Kushina's strike, her red hair flowing with her as she pushed the boy back. He grunted, forcing chakra into his arms and legs in order to build upon his muscular strength. He held his hand up in one seal as his eyes narrowed upon the Uzumaki. "Fire Style, Fire Band!"

He shouted at Kushina, blowing outward whilst swiping his head to the side. A band of flames hit Kushina's eyes, forcing her back. Ken steadied himself and settled into his stance in front of the two girls, wincing at the pain in his arms. It was never smart for him to use his chakra as a boost, Uzumaki healing be damned. The chakra helped to stretch his muscles, but after it left it didn't stop them from tearing slightly from the left over strain. He winced again when Kushina was back upon him, her blade edging closer to his head whilst he struggled to keep up with her strikes. He wasn't too shocked when she twisted her blade around and with a flick of her wrist, sending his tonto sailing through the air. It hit the ground as her blade went through his shoulder, a cry of pain slipping from his lips.

From behind Ken, Naruko's eyes widened in shock while her grip on her sister loosened. Sashi grit her teeth and her arms fall away from Naruko. Ken was shoved back by a palm strike to his chest, the blade dragging through his flesh. Sashiko vanished from Naruko's side for a moment before catching Ken a meter to the left of Naruko. She grunted softly and skidded back a bit, setting the boy down near her sister.

"Heal him Naruko. I'll try to give you a little time."

Sashiko straightened, her eyes becoming paler, white chakra surging around her before wrapping around his fists after ordering Naruko. She dashed forward and engaged Kushina, her hands blocking the blade. She wasn't harmed, merely pushed back from the force of the blow. Her lithe form ducked under another swipe and she launched her palm outward, slamming it into Kushina's shoulder whilst twisting around and switching her footing.

The girl was now behind Kushina, her palms striking in a flurry of blows at her back. Kushina gasped slightly, eyes flashing to their previous light while white chakra from Sashiko was pushed into Kushina's chakra paths. "Sorry about this, Kushina-San."

Curling her hand into a fist, Sashiko struck into the middle of Kushina's back, her chakra surging toward the spot. It spiraled outward in waves, and kanji began to imprint on the surface. Sashiko grunted while her body started to lose its color and the seal reached Kushina's head. Sashiko released Kushina and fell to her knees, panting heavily whilst Kushina fell forward, the kunai that had been inserted into her head forced outward where it broke into shards upon hitting the roof. "T-There…"

Sashi managed to speak with a small smile twisting on her lips. Naru looked toward her sister while she healed Ken's shoulder. The female red head was shaking still, but she managed to steady her chakra enough to force Ken's wound closed while he groaned in pain. "W-What did you-?"

Naruko was glad her voice only shook slightly.

I~~~~I

Minato grunted as he and Temashi crossed blades once more, the man flying through one handed seals at a fast pace. He had been at it for about half a minute now, and it was starting to worry Minato since he had only ever seen that many seals when Michiko had helped him seal the Kyuubi inside her daughter and his own. He was shoved back once more, failing to stop the sequence of seals that the man was ready to unleash. "100 Seals Style, Great Wind Armor Summoning Jutsu!"

Minato cursed, knowing just how dangerous the technique was now. He backed away and took out his Hirashin Kunai, launching them at different spots in the small arena while wind started to build up around his form. The chakra he released condensed the whirlwind, and it settled as an outer shell around Temashi.

The man raised his blade as his eyes flickered between lavender and violet, settling on the latter. He vanished from his spot and Minato barely escaped the attack using his kunai, the spot where he had been caving in as Temashi flickered onto the spot. He was breathing rather heavily, but he didn't let up and came after Minato once more. The Blond Hokage brought his blade up and blocked a strike, a wince leaving him when wind sliced into his arms and chest.

The blonde Namikaze hirashined to another Kunai in a gold blur to avoid being cut into pieces by the wind armor his opponent possessed, Temashi's faster body already following him as soon as the Yondaime had disappeared from the red head's line of sight.

They both stopped and appeared near each other, blades at their opponents throats.

Minato's eyes widened and he looked to the bracelet he wore, his breath catching in his throat.

Temashi's eyes were drawn to his own jewelry, the necklace with the symbol of the Oreshizoku clan. "K-Ken!"

The man let out a harsh breath and his eyes turned frightened, the look mirroring Minato's own face. "N-Naruko…"

Their eyes met, and Minato understood. He had thought that maybe Doten-Shi Ken was in fact related to the man before him, and wasn't too surprised he was correct. Despite being enemies both shared the job of being a parent, and both didn't want their children hurt.

Minato's blue eyes hardened and he let his blade fall, Temashi following his lead.

Minato gripped Temashi's shoulder, and the two vanished in a gold blur.

I~~~~I

Madara grunted in annoyance as he dodged yet another explosive seal. The seal expanded upon contacting the roof below them, creating a bigger explosion that sent Madara forward into Mito's outstretched fist. He cursed as he was struck in the cheek, the old wench kneeing him in his gut and dragging her elbow along his back in a harsh display of her strength and flexibility.

It all served to annoy Madara further, making him hate Hashirama's wife even more than he already did. He quickly channeled his chakra, holding his finger to his lips. Wordlessly he used the Great Fireball technique on the woman, the inferno growing larger as it struck her paper-body. She was ripped apart, but from experience Madara knew that she would still live.

The damned bodies of the Edo-Tensei made sure of that. Given his small opportunity, he removed his hand, the henge on it releasing. He unsealed his Uchiha Fan, holding it in front of him just in time to block Mito's advance. Her paper-skin was appearing once more, piecing itself together and turning into the smooth surface it was meant to mock.

Glaring at the Uzumaki woman before him, he charged up his endless amounts of chakra and it built up in the air around him. A huge gust of chakra enforced wind sent the woman facing him back farther whilst he flashed through hand signs, resting on the tiger symbol and bringing his fingers to his lips. Wordlessly he once again let out a giant stream of fire, only this one was much bigger and didn't form a ball. Instead, the fire grew and took on a serpentine shape, a roar sounding admits the crackling flames. _'Fire Style Fire Dragon Jutsu.'_

I~~~~I

A little ways behind Madara, Tobirama grunted and launching ten Water Dragons at Iraku, the Uchiha's sharingan swirling in its socket. He was constantly taking out what seemed to be an endless supply of lightning seals, combing them with Wind Style, Water Style, and Fire Style as he saw fit. It was quite amazing, and Tobirama would be impressed if it weren't for the fact that the man was trying his damned hardest to ware him out.

Iraku was a very formidable opponent, and the fact that his main element was water just made things a little harder for Tobirama. He had to be careful about fueling Iraku's own Jutsu collection, while also watching out for the lightning that Iraku also seemed to enjoy using oh so much. Tobirama supposed that Orama's Son-In Law was more than just talk, and had earned his title as _'Konoha's Lightning Master'_.

Naruko stared at her sister as the girl was able to regain her breathing, walking over to the two Uzumaki's. Ken sat up and looked to the cyannette, whom promptly dropped beside them, chuckling half-heartedly. "I don't have much chakra left after all…Sealing Kurai Hafu took more out of me than I though."

Sashi looked to her sister after speaking to herself, affection in her eyes. "Naruko, you need to remember, I can't keep the truth from you anymore."

Sashiko reached forward, grasping Naru's cheek while touching their foreheads together. Naru was frozen from the contact, unable to speak as Sashiko whispered to her. "Remember Little Sister…I can't stay long and before I go you _have_ to remember."

A few tears fell down Sashiko's cheeks, Naru swallowing harshly as Ken turned away from the scene, feeling as though he was intruding on a private moment. His heart contracted when he realized what Sashiko meant, her white chakra slowly fading from her body. He knew what happened that night, knew that Sashiko had tried her hardest to keep the truth from Naruko in order to protect her.

"Don't hate yourself, okay Naruko? Fight, fight for those you care for and those that you seek to prove wrong. Fight for Konoha and your clans, for the name that you bear."

With those words, Naruko's eyes widened further and her sharingan began to spin faster. Sashiko's hand outstretched, before slamming into her sister's chest where Orochimaru had placed the Five Prong Demon Seal, the cyannette's body becoming transparent as all her chakra was forced into the seal, forcing it to release. Naruko doubled over, Sashi's body and chakra disappearing entirely. Naruko's sharingan continued to spin, and there was a pulse that lit up the seal on her stomach, the Reaper Death seal that kept the Kyuubi inside of her. **'Kit…It's time.'**

The voice of Kurama in her head did little to lessen her pain, darkness covered her vision as she hit the roof top.

I~~~~I

 _Despite the pain and suffering dealt to Sashiko and her little sister Naruko on October 10_ _th_ _, the Oreshizoku Jinchuuriki couldn't bring herself to hate the day. October 10_ _th_ _may bring pain and chaos, but it had also brought her Naruko, so Sashiko could deal with the pain._

 _However, staring into the eyes of her little sister, the girl she adored more than anything, as her clawed hand drove into her stomach made it very hard to not hate the day. Sashiko stood in front of a female villager, guarding her from her sister's anger as blood bubbled from her throat and spilt over her lips. Her eyes stared into Naruko's shocked and horrified ones, the red haired girl shaking as she stared at her sister. Sashiko coughed, blood pouring down her face as the Kyuubi's chakra started to heal her injuries around the clawed hand in her stomach. The women behind them screamed and scrambled up to her feet, running away as tears slipped down Naruko's cheeks. "S-Sashi…"_

 _Naru was shaking so much, her hand quickly removing itself from her sister as she stepped back. Horror evident in her eyes, as well as guilt and self-hatred. Sashi grew sad and worried as she saw her sister look down at her blood covered hand, her normally bright blue eyes tormented with emotions. "N-Naruko."_

 _Sashiko stepped forward, gripping her hands. Sashiko could feel her sharingan activating, barely at the age of 4, and she pressed her forehead into her shocked sister's. "F-Forget!"_

 _The older sister couldn't allow her little sister to experience this, to believe what had happened was her fault. Sashiko just wished that when she used the Genjutsu on Naruko, she had been paying attention to her surroundings._

 _A kunai pierced through the small of her back, and she gasped in pain as it was dragged up and bag, slicing open a lung. "S-Shit…"_

 _The Kyuubi's Yin chakra wasn't able to heal both the fatal wounds at once, Sashiko knew this. Instead it went back and forth, trying to keep her alive as more blood spilt over her lips._

 _Behind her, the man with the Kunai smirked, before collapsing to the ground as he died. His chest was sliced open with claw-like marks, the blood from his body mingling with the rain soaked ground._

 _Sashiko looked into her sister's eyes as she felt the genjutsu's will fading. She grunted and called upon the chakra, forcing it away from her wounds. She wasn't important right now, Naru was. She couldn't allow her sister to know, to believe she had killed or hurt anyone in such a brutal manner. It would destroy the girl that Sashiko cared so much for. "Naruko…F-Forgive me."_

 _Sashiko's head tilted to the side as she coughed again, blood hitting Naru's face as chakra flowed from the cyannette into the red head. "Z-Zero Seals Style…T-transfer overlay…"_

 _Sashiko's voice dropped and she felt her world darkening as she managed to kiss Naru's forehead and her middle and index finger touched the Uzumaki's right eye. For a brief moment the sharingan flared over the glossy blue orbs, spinning rapidly before the singular tomo split into three and those then extended. They twirled, forming six petals on a set of rings. This pattern faded however, along with the mature sharingan, instead revealing glossy blue eyes. Naruko held her dead sister in her arms, shaking still as tears fell freely from her face. She looked at the peaceful smile on the other girl's face, and pain accompanied with loneliness started to build inside her. "N-No…DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

I~~~~I

Sarutobi flashed through hand signs and attacked Orochimaru with renewed vigor, Monkey King Enma in staff form held in one hand. He didn't need to call out the Fire Style Jutsu, 16 crimson phoenixes flying toward his student in rapid succession. The Snake Sannin sneered at him and dodged the attack, Kusanagi clutched in his hand. "You're getting soft Old Man. That Kyuubi Brat had really done a number on you."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed upon his former pupil, hatred from the Snake Sannin rubbing against him through his chakra as he thought over the words and fire another soundless jutsu at Orochimaru, this time Earth Style. "Naruko did nothing, unlike you. I should have taken care of you long ago Orochimaru."

Orochimaru scowled at Hiruzen, moving forward. "Don't overestimate your abilities Old Man, I'm not a frail bastard like you!"

"I Disagree."

A sudden kick to Orochimaru's side sent him flying across the barrier, shock clear on his features as he tumbled. He managed to catch his footing, only to hiss in anger upon seeing the man who had dared to strike him. Uzumaki Temashi stood before Hiruzen, his eyes darkened in hatred and annoyance. "Your Ego is frailer than Hiruzen Sarutobi. In fact, he's more of a ninja than you'll ever be. He one of the few Konoha Nin that I respect after all."

Temashi raised his blade toward Orochimaru as the Sannin snarled at his former partner. "And now, I'll get to regain my self-respect by avenging Lady Orama!"

Hiruzen was close to jumping into the fray when the men clashed in the air, retreating before coming back again, but he was stopped by a tanned hand on his shoulder. "Don't…This isn't just your battle Hiruzen."

Minato spoke from beside the aged Kage, the eldest of the two giving the younger a questioning glance when he saw the tattered remains of his uniform. "We both sensed our children in danger…I couldn't just leave him knowing that he too was a parent just like me. For now, he is the enemy of our enemy."

Minato's statement was only proven further when Temashi's blade met Orochimaru's Kusanagi, both scraping against one another as they battled for dominance. "You dare back stab me Temashi!?"

Temashi only allowed his chakra to expand around him, the thick red molding around purple chains. It was a sight to see, the chains thrashing around him. They slammed into the barrier, and pulsed once, before the barrier began to be absorbed inside of the Adamantine chains. "Did you forget who told you about this jutsu Orochimaru? Did you forget who I am? You destroyed the lives of those I swore to protect…and you threatened my child."

The chains shot forward, wrapping around Orochimaru's arms. "I may not be able to seal you away…But I _can_ seal away what you hold dear."

Orochimaru's eyes went wide and he screamed as the barrier's chakra began to transfer into his arms, the chains keeping him in place as Temashi flashed through hand signs. "N-No…You wouldn't! I promised to bring your wife back, you'll never see her again now!"

Temashi's eyes darkened further and he raised his hands in front of his face. "I was never going to let you revive her in the first place Orochimaru. Those that are dead…should stay dead."

Grinding his teeth together, biting into his bottom lip in the process and drawing blood, Temashi called out his jutsu. The sky, darkened from the building of rain in the clouds, began to fall further down and build before Temashi. The water hit his chains as his chakra heated the air, before it all condensed into his chakra chains and traveled into Orochimaru's arms. "100 Seals Technique, Adamantine God Sealing Jutsu!"

Ken froze upon hearing his father's voice, his purple chakra surrounding the area. "S-Shit…"

The boy glanced back toward Naruko, shocked when he found Uzumaki Kushina awake and holding the girl in her arms. "Go…I'll watch her."

The woman smiled gently at the boy, tears in her eyes.

Ken nodded in thanks to the Uzumaki woman, his chest constricting as a shockwave sounded from the battle behind him. He gripped his blade and slid it into the sheathe before taking off toward his father's form.

The man had collapsed after his jutsu had finished, the chains fading away as Orochimaru howled in anger and pain before him.

Ken landed beside his father, gently hauling the man upon his shoulder. He grunted slightly, looking up toward Orochimaru. He couldn't help but smirk, his hatred showing as his eyes tinted to an almost black green. "You got what you deserved Orochimaru…My father made sure of that fact."

Ken raised his hand to perform a Shuinshin, stopping only to glance back at Minato and Hiruzen, his eyes growing lighter. "I'm glad he didn't kill you, your daughter needs you after all. The other Edo Tensei's should be okay for now…But they won't last long. I'd say maybe a day tops before they vanish completely."

Sighing, Ken glanced back toward the mentioned red heads, a weight released from his shoulders. Naruko knew now, and it would be hard for her. It had nearly destroyed Ken when his mother had died because he couldn't control his Kekai Genkai. He had only made it through because of his father, and the seal that his mother had placed on him. The difference however, was that Sashiko didn't have the opportunity to talk and explain things like Ken's mother had, she had been forced to speed things along because her chakra was fading. "Good luck, Uzumaki Akihane."

Gripping his father's form tighter, Ken vanished in a swirl of fire. Following the boy's example, the four that had formed the barrier dropped beside Orochimaru and his limp grey arms, taking off with him in tow.

I~~~~I  
Sasuke grunted softly, staring at the Rookie Genin surrounding him, the bodies of Sound nin laying at their feet. They all were out of breath and exhausted, but he could tell that despite all that they were glad. They had survived, and had stood against Chunin and Jonin by sticking together. It was a different thrill of power, one that Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about. The power thrummed inside him, helping him push past his fatigue. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke turned in the direction of the voice, slightly surprised to see the Subaku Siblings, Sakura, Shino and Shikimaru behind them. Shikimaru looked warn, and Sakura looked a little roughed up and Shino seemed to walk with a limp, however other than that they were fine. Gaara, whom had addressed him in the first place, gestured to the village. "We should head into the streets to help out where we can. My Siblings and I have already informed most of our Jonin that we were fooled…Please do not use excessive force on any Sand Nin you come across."

Sakura walked forward to the ground of Genin, looking them over. "Is anyone injured? I can heal a couple more people."

Sasuke paused when Sakura just passed by him. It was true he wasn't hurt, but to see his teammate and supposed head fangirl brush him off was strange. "Over here Sakura, Hinata-Chan and I got a little beat up."

Kiba called out to the sakura haired Kunoichi, whom made her way to them at a measured pace. "Alright. While I'm healing them you should find out where Kakashi-Sensei and the others are at…"

Sakura's hands began to glow green as she pressed them near Hinata's gash on her right arm, the lavender haired girl blushing slightly. "T-Thank you…S-Sakura-San."

Sakura smiled slightly at the girl and moved onto Kiba, whom had gashes at his side and leg. "It's fine Hinata-Chan. And Sakura-Chan is okay, I'm your age after all."

Kiba thanked the girl once she finished, Sasuke taking noticed of how she was shaking slightly. Most likely she was running low on chakra, and needed rest. "Kiba, Hinata, stay with Sakura here just in case the Jonin-Senseis come back. The rest of us should split into three groups, a Sand Nin in each, and hit the village."

Gaara paused and looked to his siblings, whom nodded. Kankuro did it grudgingly, turning to Shino and Shikimaru. "You good coming with me?"

The Nara sighed and nodded, looking to the other Genin. "Choji, why don't you join us?"

The Akimichi Clan Heir nodded and walked toward the group, Kankuro nodding to his sister and with a slight reluctance and wariness, ruffled Gaara's hair. "See you guys soon."

The group vanished out a hole in the Arena wall, Gaara looking at the remaining Genin. Rock Lee stepped forward, holding out his hand. "I'd love you join your team, Gaara-San!"

The Red head looked surprised, and didn't take Lee's hand. "Alright."

Lee frowned for a moment, before being hit over the head by Ten Ten. "Sorry about him. Temari-San could I join in your group?"

Temari blinked at Ten Ten, before smirking. "As long as you don't fall behind girl."

Ten Ten returned the smirk, Ino sighing and walking to them. "Guess I'll join you guys." Temari nodded to her brother and the three girls took off outside, leaving Sasuke with Gaara, Neji, and Lee. "I guess we are all in a group then?"

Neji spoke up, eyes narrowed on the other three Nin that were staying at the Arena. "Yes."

Gaara replied to Neji, glancing toward the tiled roof opposite to them. "We should hurry, the faster we finish the less mess there is later on."

They all nodded, Lee grinning once more as they took off toward the Village.

I~~~~I

When Naruko woke up from her memories, she hadn't expected to be face to face with her mother. The woman was gently combing her fingers through Naruko's hair, humming in a sad tone as Naru looked up at her slightly cracked paper eyes, the gently tanned skin and red hair exactly like the pictures that Naru had been shone of her by Minato. "K-Kaa-San?"

Her memories were tossed aside to be reviewed later for the moment, her attention focused on her mother. Kushina smiled gently down at her, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. "Hello, A-Akihane, It's good to finally meet you."

Naruko couldn't stop her tears from spilling over as she promptly knocked her mother over with a hug, her face buried into the crook of the woman's neck as she shook. "K-Kaa-S-San."

Kushina slowly hugged her daughter, shocked at the show of emotion. She smiled sadly and pulled her little girl close, shaking herself. From behind her she heard footsteps, a wince traveling through her body as her skin began to peel away from its body. Naruko paused and looked up at her with teary eyes, noting that her mother was giving her a sad smile. "I'm so glad I got to meet you Naruko…I just wish that I could have stayed longer." Sighing gently, Kushina kissed Naru's head, the little red head reaching out to touch her mother's face as it tore itself apart. "N-No…"

Before the girl could reach her mother, a set of strong tan arms engulfed her in a hug, pulling her away from the paper body. Minato clenched his teeth, tears threatening to spill from his own cracked blue orbs. He looked down at his wife, whom smiled softly at him as her body was blown apart by the breeze. "Take care of her Minato…"

Her voice faded away with her, Minato pulling his daughter close as they vanished in a yellow blur. Naruko clung to his neck, her nails digging into his neck as he collapsed against the wall, holding her close. He shook and Naruko let out a soft sob against him. He had just said goodbye to his wife for the second time.

 **And done. This took a little longer than I expected and I'm not entirely happy with it, but I had thousands of ways for this to play out and kept writing the ending, erasing it, and restarting. I finally settled on this, and while I know it isn't very well written I still do plan to go back over and fix what I can. Thanks for reading and waiting, Its appreciated!**

 **Alright, for those who may be confused Uzumaki Temashi Kira is part of the main branch of Uzumaki's and was sworn to protect Orama Hyuga's husband, who then made him promise to protect Orama and Michiko. Michiko didn't really get to know Temashi, and because he failed to protect Orama he left the Oreshizoku Clan. Along his travels he met Ken's mother and the two stayed together until Temashi caught word of Orochimaru and chose to leave. Ken's mother found out she was pregnant and moved to Konoha for support. Later Temashi heard about the Kyuubi attack and went to Konoha, only to discover that Michiko's eldest son and supposedly only child had already left. He also met his son, who was 3 at the time and an orphan. Ken's Kekai Genkai, an Ocular jutsu that tints and shades his eyes, had caused the death of his mother because he hadn't been able to control it. Temashi took care of his son for another year to help him control his Kekai Genkai, before placing him in the orphanage under Sarutobi's care. After 11-12 years Temashi was sought out by Orochimaru and offered the chance to destroy Konoha and bring his wife back from the dead. He accepted, but secretly planned to betray Orochimaru and end him after all was said and done.**

 **There's the basics that I have already explained or hinted at, just grouped together.**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Temashi Kira Uzumaki**

 **Age-40**

 **Gender-Male**

 **Clan(s)-Uzumaki, Oreshizoku**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood limit-Blood Style**

 **Relations-**

 **Orama Oreshizoku(and husband):Masters/Sensei(Deceased)**

 **Kushina Uzumaki:Charge(Deceased)**

 **Michiko Oreshizoku:Charge(Deceased)**

 **Ken Doten-Shi:Son**

 **Amelia Doten-Shi:Wife(Deceased)**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Fire Style(Primary)**

 **Wind Style(Primary)**

 **Earth Style(Secondary)**

 **I~~~I**

 **Ken Doten-Shi**

 **Age-15**

 **Gender-Male**

 **Clan(s)-Uzumaki, Oreshizoku**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood limit-Ocular Jutsu**

 **Relations-**

 **Temashi Kira Uzumaki:Father**

 **Amelia:Mother(Deceased)**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Fire Style(Primary)**

 **Water Style(Secondary)**

 **Wind Style(Secondary)**

 **I~~~I**

 **Iraku Uchiha**

 **Age-35**

 **Gender-Male**

 **Clan(s)-Uchiha, Oreshizoku**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood limit-Sharingan**

 **Relations-**

 **Michiko Oreshizoku:Wife(Deceased)**

 **Ichihara Oreshizoku/Uchiha:Son**

 **Miko Oreshizoku:Son(Deceased)**

 **Mila Oreshizoku:Daughter(Deceased)**

 **Sashiko Oreshizoku:Daughter(Deceased)**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Fire Style(Primary)**

 **Lightning Style(Primary)**

 **Water Style(Secondary)**

 **Wind Style(Secondary)**


	19. XIX- Retrieval Mission

**Hello Readers! I hope your day has been good, and if not I hope this makes it better. I took a little longer than expected to get this type up but I'm glad that it is finished. I can't believe how far this story has gone and I can't wait for the Shippuden Arc. It shows in the fact that I have already started to write the Shippuden Arc, and having most of it planned. I'm also leaning toward the Edo-Tensei's to not be permanent and to have a time limit that they only find out because of Kurai or Kurama, but I'm still debating. Well thanks for reading and review if you want!**

 **Disclaimer-I only own the plot and Ichihara…sadly**

 **Chapter dedicated to the hundreds of favorites and follows I have gotten over the past months, thanks so much for the support!**

Minato held his daughter close to his side, gently running his hand through her hair. Naruko was still shaken up, tear stains on her cheeks from their night of drowning in sorrow over the loss of Kushina.

Minato could feel his heart constrict as he thought of his wife, the woman that he had wanted to stay with forever. His heart was shattered on the night of the Kyuubi attack, followed by the knife through his heart when his daughter had summoned him through Edo-Tensei. The knife had been turned into a sword driven through his back this time, in the form of his wife being resurrected and forced to fight his daughter. His fist clenched and he pulled his little girl closer, resting his chin on top of her head as he let out a shuddering breath.

"I'll kill that snake bastard…I'll send him to a place worse than hell for the shit he has caused."

The blonde's whispered promise was not unheard, but the man leaning on the shogi door outside the room did not respond to the death threat on his fellow Sannin. Instead, Jiraya sighed and walked away from the room, closing the door as he went. His eyes held a solemn look, one that he had worn the day his two students were ripped from him. "Jiraya."

The Toad Sannin looked up, facing his mentor.

"Yes Sensei?"

Jiraya turned to the Sandaime, whom was seated at the Namikaze's booth along with the other Kage. Tobirama paused in order to glance toward where the owners of the residence where at, before he turned to Hiruzen. "I think it's about time you chose your successor Hiruzen. This attack from your student only showed that you should have retired long ago."

Hiruzen smiled gently at Tobirama, chuckling a bit. "I know. Initially this was only supposed to be temporary, until my successor was chosen. However…The council wants a Sannin and Jiraya's spy network is too valuable."

Jiraya allowed a wry grin to appear on his face, despite the sorrow in his eyes. "If they want a Sannin, there is another."

Hiruzen blinked and turned to face Jiraya, while Tobirama and Hashirama shared a look. "Who exactly?"

Jiraya looked toward the former Kage, feeling his chest lighten slightly. "Senju Tsunade, your Granddaughter. Of course we have to find her first, and after that convince her to take the hat."

Hiruzen barely restrained himself from face palming at the blatant manner in which Jiraya spoke of his teammate.

I~~~~I

"No."

Jiraya groaned for the fifth time. "Come on Minato, let me at least ask her!"

Minato narrowed his eyes on his Sensei, the two standing outside the room where Naruko slept away her sorrow. "I said no. If I can't go with her then I am not letting her go, understand?"

Jiraya groaned inwardly, smacking his face into the palm of his right hand. "Minato, you can't come along! I already told you why."

Minato glared at his Sensei, not budging from his spot in front of the set of doors. "Like I already told you, no."

The two fair headed men glared at one another, sparks forming where their fierce gazes met. Madara muttered and Hiruzen sighed from their posts in the hall. The old Sarutobi was dressed in his Hokage robes, a tired look in his eyes while Madara wore his gear. "Minato, please just let Jiraya ask Naruko."

Minato turned to retort at Hiruzen, only to stop when the shogi doors behind him slid open. Naruko stepped out, dressed in a copy her ninja gear from the Third Exam, her dull blue eyes meeting Jiraya's deep brown. "I'll go. I just need to grab someone to go with us."

Turning, Naruko moved to leave the hall, only to be stopped by her father's hand on her shoulder. "Naru-"

Naru turned toward her father, a small sad smile on her lips. "I have to go Minato…You are needed here."

Minato froze a bit at his name, before he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Fine…I'll only let you go if you promise to keep my Kunai on you at all times, don't talk to strangers or give Jiraya your money…Also."

The Yondaime pulled Naru into a fierce hug, the girl freezing for a moment before slowly relaxing into him. "Call me Tou-San, alright?"

Naruko's eyes widened and she nodded toward Minato, whom cast a dark glare at Jiraya as he held her close for a few more seconds. "You do anything I deem to be unfit and I will have your ass on a platter, Sensei."

Jiraya gulped at the look, Madara smirking slightly while looking at Naruko. "Naru."

The red head turned to the Uchiha, barely catching the scroll tossed toward her. "That's the next scroll in the series. Practice your fire Jutsu while you are out."

Naruko nodded to Madara, before the Uchiha turned and left the group in a simple Shuinshin. "Now that we have come to an agreement, I suggest you get ready. We leave at mid-day Naru."

Naruko nodded to her godfather, smiling gently at her father before walking toward the front door. She put on her sandals and exited her home, Minato watching her. "If anything happens to her…Nothing will stop me Jiraya, Hiruzen."

The two looked at Minato as his eyes darkened.

"I won't lose anyone else."

I~~~~I

For Sakura, the days following the Third Exam were different. It was over a week after the Sand had invaded, and construction was coming along nicely. Sighing, Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow and picked up another two cans of paint, hauling them from the supplies toward the ninja and civilians working on restoring an apartment complex. "Up here Sakura!"

A Chunin called from some rafters he stood on while painting the two story building. Sakura smiled and pressed her feet to the dry part of the building, walking up the walls. She handed the buckets to the Chunin, whom thanked her. She turned and flipped off the building, landing carefully on the ground. She sighed slightly and looked around the construction zone. The debris had been cleared, leaving the broken shells of the buildings behind.

Sakura was torn from looking around by the sound of her name. She froze slightly at the voice, turning in the direction she heard it from. "Sakura!"

Sakura's green eyes lit up upon seeing the red haired girl jumping over a roof, landing in a smooth crouch a couple feet in front of her. "Naruko!"

Sakura rushed toward her teammate, smiling gently as she felt a slight weight on her shoulders vanish. Despite a week having passed, Naruko hadn't been around at all. In fact, the last time Sakura had seen the blonde since the Invasion was at the mass funeral, where she stood beside an Anbu officer wearing a gold fox mask. She had been so lifeless then, leaning on the Anbu like she'd fall apart without support. Now however, there wasn't nearly as much sadness in the red haired girl's eyes, and she seemed to be okay and able to walk on her own. "How are you? Sensei wouldn't tell us anything except that you were okay."

Naru sighed gently expecting as much from Kakashi. He had visited several times, and only the last time had she spoken to him. She had apologized, and left it at that. She still felt the wrenching pain in her chest anytime she looked in the mirror, the image of both Kushina and Shashiko fresh in her mind. Still, Minato, or Tou-San she supposed now, had helped her through it. She still hated herself to an extent, wanted so badly to punish herself for being the one to- "Naruko?"

Both girls paused and turned, Naru's blood rushing through her body upon seeing Iruka standing beside a building, a smile tugging at his lips. "Well come on, don't be a stranger!"

The two Genin rushed toward the man, whom ruffled their hair as they reached him. "I'm glad you are okay. Kakashi wouldn't let me see you."

Naruko chuckled gently, scratching the back of her head as she pushed away the dark thoughts, locking them deep inside herself. "Yah, sorry about that. Kitsune and I had a lot to discuss. I'd invite you over to tell you…but I'm on a tight schedule."

The other nin turned toward their companion as they started walking down the streets, Naru looking toward Sakura. "That's why I came to find you Sakura. I'm going on a Mission with Ero-Sensei to find Hiruzen-Jiji's successor."

Iruka's eyes widened as he heard this, Sakura pausing as she looked over her teammate. "So you want me to go with you?"

Naruko nodded at her teammate. "I would rather it not be just me and Jiraya…However there aren't many people who I can ask. I also have some new Genjutsu scrolls and medical ninjutsu to show you."

Iruka looked at the two, Sakura's eyes practically sparkling at the mention of new techniques. "No way! I'll definitely go."

Iruka smiled at the two, his heart warming at the thought of how grown up they seemed to be. "So who are you going after exactly, Naruko?"

Naru turned toward her former Sensei, offering a wry smirk. "Senju Tsunade."

Iruka's eyes widened and his jaw nearly dropped as Sakura stared at Naruko with wide eyes. "Wait, you mean we are going after the famed medical genius Senju Tsunade?!"

Naru rolled her eyes slightly and nodded toward her teammate, whom gained a vicious starry eyed look. "Then what are we waiting for! Come on, I have to get packed."

Sakura took hold of Naruko's arm, dragging the red head away without her consent. Yelping, Naru forced herself not to react and instead waved goodbye to Iruka. The Chunin smiled at the two and waved himself, before turning to work on the buildings once again.

I~~~~I

"So how did you meet Jiraya?"

Naru paused and looked toward Sakura from her spot on the pinkette's bed. Sakura's room wasn't what she had expected it to be. Honestly Naru figured it would have pink and Sasuke everywhere. Instead, it had a balcony entrance, a simple twin bed with white covers and pale pink sheets, red, white, and several pale blue pillows strewn around the bed and the room. Shelves were lined with books and scrolls, and the Pinkette had a desk in the corner where she seemed to be practicing the storage seals Naru had given her. "He's my godfather."

Sakura paused in her packing of a storage scroll to look at Naru in slight surprise. "Woah, that's cool."

Naruko nodded slightly, raising her hand and tilting it to the side as she replied.

"Somewhat. He's not really what you'd expect from a Sannin. One thing though, don't give him any of your money. He'll preach about the three ninja sins and go do those same sins with your money."

Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust and finished packing her scroll, rolling it up. She placed it at her side, Naru looking toward her short hair. "So are you going to keep it short?"

Sakura glanced over at her teammate, before shrugging. "More than likely. It's a lot easier to handle now than it was before."

Naruko nodded, running a hand through her shoulder length spikes. "I'm unsure on whether I should cut mine or just keep it up."

Sakura walked over, grabbing a hair tie from a package on her dressed behind Naru.

"Just keep it up for now. It looks nice long, but it's up to you whether you want to cut it or not."

Naru nodded, allowing her teammate to put the red locks into a pony tail. For a moment, Sakura was reminded of the boy that had defeated Sasuke, Doten-Shi Ken. She shook the thought away however, knowing that the boy was merely a spy for one of the traitors of Orochimaru. Many people though that the Sandaime had been the one to seal Orochimaru's arms, however Kakashi had informed his Genin that it was Doten-Shi's father who turned traitor on Orochimaru that had done the sealing. The other Jonin Sensei's had repeated the same thing to their Genin, but still there were less people that knew the truth compared to those that didn't.

"Done."

Sakura pulled away, noting how Naru relaxed slightly. Sakura wasn't really bothered by it however, as Naru didn't like contact with anyone really. At most, she would let Kakashi clap her on the shoulder or trade blows in Taijutsu. She also accepted the pats from Iruka, though there was never anything else. Naruko didn't enjoy contact too much, and tried to avoid it most of the time. "We should head to the gate if you are ready. Jiraya will be there."

Sakura nodded toward her teammate, and the two stood before walking downstairs. In the kitchen, Sakura's mom looked up at the two. She gave them both a nod, eyeing Naru a little longer before looking at her daughter. "Alright Kaa-San, we are heading out. I'll see you later!"

Sakura smiled at her mother, Naruko nodding to the women. "Have a good week, Haruno-San."

The girls left the house, Sakura closing the door behind her.

I~~~~I

"Oi, Gaki, who's this?" Naru glared slightly at Jiraya, warning him about the name. The only ones who could get away with calling her a brat were Tobirama and Madara. Not even Hashirama or Min- her father could get away with the name. "Haruno Sakura, I'm one of Naruko's teammates."

Jiraya raised a brow at Naruko, whom only shrugged at him. "I told you I'd bring someone along. Now let's get going."

Sakura glanced toward her Teammate, while Jiraya sighed. "Whatever, as long as you don't slow us down. Now come on."

Jiraya stepped forward, moving to leave Konoha. He was stopped however by a silver haired Jonin, landing right in front of him. "Lord Jiraya, from Gold Fox and Hokage-Sama."

Kakashi handed two scrolls to the Sannin, looking toward his two Genin. "Have a fun trip Sakura-Chan, Akihane-Chan!"

Naru's face heated up whilst Sakura huffed at their sensei, offering a small smile as he gave them an eye-smile and vanished in a swirl of laves.

"Damned Hatake brat."

Jiraya shook his head and continued on his way, the two girls following him.

The three traveled at a moderate pace, the village gates becoming farther and farther away as they walked. Jiraya read the scrolls as they walked, humming slightly before placing one at his side. He tossed the other over his head toward Naru, whom caught it. The red head raised a brow whilst her Godfather smirked. "From Kitsune. He still thinks I won't take good care of you."

Naru looked down at the scroll, Sakura eyeing her Teammate in slight confusion. "Isn't Kitsune that Anbu that was with you at the funeral?"

Naru glanced toward Sakura and nodded.

"Yah, he's kind of like a personal guard…of sorts. Anyways, I did promise you some Genjutsu, right?"

Naruko placed the scroll on the inside of her coat, taking out another scroll and handing it to Sakura. "I had to rewrite the formula's so sorry about my handwriting."

Sakura shook her head and unrolled the scroll after channeling a small amount of chakra to unseal it. "Wow, you don't have to apologize Naruko. I can read your handwriting just fine."

' _To think…I thought I stood a chance against her not too long ago. Now though, I see that she more of a woman than I was. Maybe one day, I can tell her as much.'_

Sakura trailed off in her thoughts, rolling the scroll up and placing it at her side next to the storage scroll. She picked up a conversation with Naruko about basic things and future missions, Jiraya listening in.

Glancing back at the girls, Jiraya felt his heart warm upon seeing the small smile on Naruko's face. The girl was changing, and it looked like it was for the better. Shashiko's reveal had affected her and frightened the Kage over what the girl would do, but as Madara had said, she'd push through. Naruko still refused to use her Blood style however, and he couldn't miss the hollow loneliness that was inside of her. Still, she was trying and that was what mattered. Minato had made it so she didn't believe she had murdered her sister in cold blood, and that it was all an accident. The man was still apologizing for putting both girls through the ordeal, however Jiraya could tell that no matter what Naruko couldn't hate her father. He was her only real family left after all, and after having watched her mother literally disappear before her eyes, she was bound to hold onto what she had left even tighter.

"Hey, Ero-Sensei. Where are we headed anyways?"

Jiraya's eye twitched at the name before he muttered. "Tanazuki Town. It's a famous Gambling town and they have a festival going on around now. Tsunade's an infamous gambler so it's a good place to look."

Naruko raised a brow at that and Sakura sighed. "Oh yah… I almost forgot that Tsunade-Sama is known everywhere as a horrible gambler." Naruko chuckled softly at the information, awkwardly patting Sakura on the back. "At least she makes up for it."

Sakura nodded, smiling in thanks to her teammate. Jiraya rolled his eyes slightly and smiled. "First though, there's a nearby town that we should stop at. We can get some new information there and see if anything's changed."

I~~~~I

The summer breeze blew over the heads of two Nin, one shorter than the other who seemed to be a giant. The giant had a wrapped sword on his back, and both wore straw hats that covered their faces. Two bells hung from either side of the hats, jingling ominously as the wind blew past them and rustled the leaves surrounding them. The nin wore black cloaks with red clouds on them, as well as Ninja sandals and a ring for each with Kanji engraved onto a colored stone on their hands. The taller glanced down at the smaller, a grin forming on his pale blue face with three gill marks on the cheeks. "Hey, Itachi, how does it feel to be going back?"

Itachi sighed gently at the question, staring coolly at the road ahead. "Nothing has changed…"

They stopped in there strides, eyeing the forest expanding around them, encircling the bright red gate before them that had the kanji for fire engraved onto the front of it. Behind the gate rested several faces engraved into a rock face resting above a giant red building that also had the kanji for fire on it. "Konohagakure…I suppose it has been a while."

Itachi spoke up, his hat tilting backward due to his fingers grazing the edge, his dull black eyes taking in the sight before him.

"I wonder how you are doing, Outoto."

With the words spoken, Itachi and his partner vanished in a swirl of the leaves.

I~~~~I

"Hey Jiraya-Sama, what's up with that?" Sakura pointed toward the edge of the forest, where the land expanded into rolling hills with a village in the middle. At the front of the village however, there was a flashing of silver and the sound of steal clashing into steal. Hundreds of bandits stood at the entrance to the village, several backing away as they called out toward those in the front. Naruko's eyes narrowed on the sight, as well as the wall surrounding the village and the guards at the top of the wall that were calling for help. "Nar-"

Jiraya was unable to finish his warning, Naruko's eyes flashing to dark red with three tomos as she vanished. Her knapsack was left where her feet had been, Sakura yelping slightly.

"Naruko!"

Jiraya called out, turning back toward the bandits as a red blur slammed into several bandits. They called out, tumbling around her like a bunch of bowling pins. Naruko's fist was slammed into the ground, the skin torn slightly and bleeding. "Attacking a village like this, bastards?!"

The bandits turned toward the girl, shocked at the amount of power she had just displayed. They froze upon looking into Naruko's eyes, some screaming. "I-It's another one! Another brat with those eyes!"

Naruko narrowed her eyes at the comment, before removing two kunai from her pouch. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Naruko launched herself into the mess of bandits, most foolish enough to strike back. They were swiftly knocked off their feet and to the floor, a swift kick or strike to their head or neck making their vision go black. "N-no way!"

They continued to try and strike at her, several even ganging up on her back as it was turned. Naruko cursed slightly, her sealed curse mark pulsing slightly as she turned sharply to avoid a fatal blow. The sword the bandit wielded would still go through her side at least however, and it would hurt. "Forgotten about me already? How foolish."

The voice, cold but somehow soft, came from a boy that appeared in front of her. Her eyes widened when he raised a pure black katana and sliced through the many bandits in his path. His hair, a dark black, shadowed his eyes and his pale skin. He wore a torn brown cape that covered his attire, his sandals a plain brown wood with seals on the edges. "S-Shit, they're too powerful! Retreat!"

The bandits started to break apart, however Naruko raised her hands to form hand signs, the boy behind her doing the same. By a funny twist of fate, they used the same technique.

"Fire Style, Fire Ball Jutsu!"

" _Fire Style, Fire Ball Jutsu!"_

The flames poured from their lips, the boy's growing twice the size of Naruko's as they pushed through the bandits. The men that weren't caught scrambled and tried to run, only to be punched into one another by Sakura. She cracked her neck, glaring at the men. The flames died down around the two in the center, Jiraya cursing slightly as he stalked forward. "Naruko, why the hell didn't you wait?!"

Naru turned toward Jiraya, close to retorting in a very violent manner. "H-Huh? J-Jiraya-San?!"

All eyes were directed toward the boy that had fought beside Naru before, Jiraya's words dying in his throat as his eyes widened. "I-Ichihara."

Sharingan met Sharingan, Ichihara's shocked face now directed at Naruko, whom looked as though she had just seen a ghost.

I~~~~I

"Kakashi!"

The Silver haired scarecrow turned toward the one who had called his name, leaning his back against the food stall where he waited. Kakashi held his red book in his hands whilst he surveyed Sasuke. The boy stopped in front of him, glancing to the side at the other Jonin Senseis. "Huh? I thought it was just us training today." Kakashi looked to Asuma and Kurenai, glancing toward the two nin inside the food stall that Kakashi had been watching for a little while. "Yah, I just ran into them on my way here. Come on, let's go."

Sasuke frowned at Kakashi, glancing back at the Sensei's while Kakashi settled a hand on his shoulder and led him away. As Asuma and Kurenai turned back to the stall, they noticed that the two nin wearing strange black cloaks with red clouds were gone, their tea left still steaming on the table along with some money. The Jonin shared looks and they too vanished from the busy street.

I~~~~I

"I see, so you are guarding this village from the bandits that we saw earlier. Why am I not surprised? You Oreshizoku's don't have a cell inside you that doesn't want to help people."

Ichihara sighed and offered a small smile toward Jiraya after the man finished speaking, his eyes back to their normal blue. The group of ninja were situated in a small hut near the front gates, given to Ichihara by the mayor of the village. "I suppose that is correct. I'm a little surprised that you are here however."

Ichihara spoke up, confusion mixing into his tone. From beside Jiraya, Naruko fidgeted, clutching the hem of her shorts whilst her blue eyes remained focused on her hands in her lap. Sakura sat beside the girl, worry in her eyes for her friend who seemed to have shut up after learning the identity of the mysterious protector. "Well…I'm sure you heard about the Sand and Sound's invasion on Konoha, correct?"

Ichihara paused before nodding at Jiraya to show he did know, eyes darkening in sadness at the mention of his home.

"Well it was led by Orochimaru. He tried to kill the Old Man, and nearly succeeded…Thank fully the Sandaime had help."

Jiraya glanced over to Naruko as he finished speaking, Ichihara also directing his gaze to the girl. "She has the sharingan."

The confusion still remained, sadness also still present. Naru took a deep breath from where she sat, raising he gaze to face the young man in front of her that looked younger than he was. "Jiraya, Sakura, please leave."

Jiraya stood upon hearing her request, Sakura hesitating for a moment. Naruko turned to the pink haired girl, offering a small smile. "I'll be good. Go see if anyone needs to be healed, okay?" Sakura sighed gently and followed Jiraya out, casting a glance back at the two as the door shut behind them.

"Why did you send them out, Naruko-San?" Ichihara settled into a more comfortable position, Naru doing the same as she face the boy. "Because Sakura can't know and Jiraya would only interrupt."

Naruko allowed her eyes to morph into the sharingan once more, Ichihara following. Naru then slowly dragged Ichihara into her mind, forcing down the darker emotions that threatened to over whelm her. She opened her eyes once more, Ichihara standing in front of her. He had his eyes open and was looking around the sewers, his sharingan deactivated for the moment. "Your mindscape is pretty torn apart."

Naruko smiled wryly at the comment. "I suppose."

The Uzumaki turned and lead Ichihara down the sewers, her boots creating ripples in the water while Ichihara chose to follow. They stood on top of the water, the older following the younger as the halls widened. **"Come back so soon, Kit? I see you've brought another guest…"**

Ichihara froze slightly, his eyes widening as he looked at the giant cage before him, the red fox behind the bars allowing it's nine tails to wave lazily behind it. "Sorry Kurama, I meant to come sooner and I know you don't exactly like Uchihas."

The fox scoffed at rose slightly, his large red eye the size of Ichihara, his head the size of a small caravan. **"I don't mind Iraku's kits. In fact, I believe his line is the only one I can tolerate."**

Ichihara was too shocked to speak.

I~~~~I

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Asuma glared at the two ninja before himself and Kurenai, his hands armed with his trench knives. The two ninja turned toward them, the shorter lifting a hand to his hat. "I never expected such a welcome…Though I'm surprised you don't recognize me Asuma."

Asuma's eyes widened and he started to run through the identity of the man before him, even as the hat was removed. "Though I shouldn't be so surprised. After all it has been so long…"

Trailing off, Itachi removed his hat, allowing it to drop down in front of him. His blank black eyes stared into Asuma's as the Sarutobi froze in shock. Beside him, Kurenai tried to nudge him. "Uchiha Itachi…"

Itachi stared at the two in disinterest, allowing one hand to exit his cloak. It pulled at the first three buttons of his cloak, where he left it. His hand came to rest on it, hanging out slightly. His headband was displayed on his forehead, the silver metal having the leaf symbol with a line roughly slashed through it. "What business does an S-Rank criminal have in Konoha?!"

Asuma finally spoke up, channeling his chakra into his trench knives. This time, it was the man beside Itachi that spoke up. "Itachi…Can I cut him up? He's quite annoying."

The taller of the two raised a hand and removed his own cap, revealing his face. "Hoshigaki Kisame…Former member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist."

Asuma supplied the information for Kurenai, whom raised her hands up and began to channel her own chakra. Kisame chuckled from beside his partner, gripping the blade on his back. It was almost as big as Kisame himself, and was wrapped almost completely in bandages other than the golden handle. Kisame drew the blade, swinging it down in front of him.

"Seems like your home village knows something after all."

Kisame had dark blue scale like hair, his headband keeping it back. The symbol of the mist was engraved on the front, and like Zabuza's and Itachi's, was crossed through the middle.

"Of course they would know something. It'd be pretty stupid if they didn't know who you were."

The two Missing Nin turned sharply toward the lake, Kisame's black eyes widening slightly. Standing on the water was Zabuza, dressed in his normal attire. Behind him stood Haku without her mask, Kakashi in front of them both. "Momochi Zabuza. Word has it you vanished a month ago after a job in Wave. Guess this means you've been with Konoha the entire time."

Zabuza rolled his eyes at Kisame, raising his blade in front of him.

"Haku."

Haku nodded and flashed through hand signs while Kakashi attacked Itachi with Asuma, Kurenai falling back with Zabuza to avoid the strike that Kisame aimed at her.

"Ice Style- Thousand Ice Needles!"

 **Did you think I forgot about Zabuza and Haku? Nope. They are alive, they did join the leaf, and I will explain where they have been sometime soon. For now I'm going to cut the chapter at just above 5k words. I'm glad I got this written down, despite the hundreds of thought sin my head. I recently got some new books from the library's book sale, so more encouragement is there. A little warning is that EOC's are soon so I might not be able to write for even longer. Thanks for reading though, review if you have suggestions or just want to tell be how I'm doing!**

 **(6-28-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Ichihara Oreshizoku/Uchiha**

 **Age-25**

 **Gender-Male**

 **Clan(s)-Uchiha, Oreshizoku**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood limit-Sharingan**

 **Relations-**

 **Michiko Oreshizoku:Mother(Deceased)**

 **Iraku Oreshizoku/Uchiha:Father(Deceased)**

 **Miko Oreshizoku:Brother(Deceased)**

 **Mila Oreshizoku:Sister(Deceased)**

 **Shashiko Oreshizoku:Sister(Deceased)**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Fire Style(Primary)**

 **Lightning Style(Primary)**

 **Wind Style(Secondary)**


	20. XX-Uchiha Oreshizoku

**Welcome Readers to the 20** **th** **Chapter of The Lone Jinchuuriki! I'm so glad that I have managed to make it this far, and soon enough I'll finish the story. It's crazy to think that not even a year ago I was fretting over the first chapter, wondering what to do about it and whether people would enjoy it. I'm glad that I chose to post it however, especially since it has improved by writing style and grammar by leaps and bounds. It also is nice that despite the Carpal Tunnel, I'm able to type without looking at the keyboard.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto or its characters, only the basis of the plot (with ideas from you guys and friends) and the Oreshizoku Clan members.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the many reviewers and readers.**

"So this is what has become of you, aye Zabuza?"

Kisame spoke up as his bandaged blade struck out at his fellow swordsman, who twisted out of the way and flashed through hand signs. "Sorry I disappoint you."

With a smirk Zabuza called out from where he stood. "Water style, Hell's Pillar!"

Forcing his chakra into the water, Zabuza allowed for a giant pillar made of spiraling water to surround Kisame. It shot upward rapidly, reaching to the sky. It was more of a beacon than an attack, but it also helped to deal damage to Kisame. From beside him Zabuza heard Haku call out from her spot beside a knocked out Kurenai. "Ice Style, Ice Spikes Jutsu!"

From the water rose spikes made of ice, Kisame grunting inside the water vortex as he was forced to maneuver his body in the air. The water pillar fell apart around the S-Rank criminal, a maniac grin on his face as he flashed through hand signs. "Water style, Water Bullet!"

He rapidly fired two bullets down below him, shattering the spikes on the water. Zabuza quickly moved in front of his student and their charge, flashing through his own hand signs. "Water style, Water Wall!"

Zabuza blew water from his mouth, mixing it with the river before him in order to create a wall that blocked the shockwave of water flying toward the three of them. His chakra was draining at a rapid pace as the battle progressed, a pit forming in Zabuza's stomach. _'Come on you damn wolf…get here quick!'_

Zabuza raised his blade in time to block a vicious strike from Kisame, grunting and pushing back as he felt his chakra drain. "Zabuza-Sama!"

Haku flashed through hand signs, taking a deep breath before blowing outward. "Wind Style, Great Breakthrough!"

The large gust pushed Kisame back a couple feet, leaving both the defending nin panting in exhaustion. "Tch, you are all worn down. You've gone soft Zabuza."

Raising his hands, Kisame flashed through his own seals. "Water Style, Tsunami Wall!"

Unlike Zabuza's wall earlier, Kisame's held more force and actually grew twice the size of the man as it came barreling down toward Zabuza and Haku. "Shit."

Zabuza stepped in front of his student and prepared to channel the remainder of his chakra to protect the two women behind him, only to be stopped by a flash of silver. A kunai landed by the ground near Zabuza, and in a flash of gold an Anbu appeared beside the first. The first wore a silver wolf mask while the ladder wore a gold fox mask. "Took you long enough."

Zabuza got no reply from the two Anbu, the gold one vanishing as he launched toward the other battle across the river that looked to be at its end.

Minato landed beside Kakashi as the man fell backward, catching him whilst Asuma backed up slightly to stand beside Minato. Cracked and glassy blue eyes looked upward, meeting the dark red eyes that spun rapidly before fading away to normal black upon being unable to draw Minato into a Genjutsu. "I see…This is quite the development."

Itachi frowned at Minato and looked upward, calling to his teammate. "Kisame, we need to leave. This had gotten out of hand." Kisame scoffed but narrowed his eyes as his water simply stopped in front of his opponents, the Anbu standing to his full height. The water remained as it was, not a drop falling out of place. "Alright Itachi. Our target isn't here anyways…"

The two backed away, Minato flashing through hand signs while the water in front of Tobirama pushed forward in a rush. "Seals Style, Five Point Barrier!"

Itachi flashed away from the area as five kunai lit up in an array around the group, a point covering Kurenai, Haku, and Zabuza. Itachi appeared beside Kisame as Minato turned sharply to him, Tobirama's wall of water crashing down on them. Gritting his teeth, Kisame slammed his hand into the water as blood fell onto the surface of it. "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"

I~~~~I

"I see."

Ichihara opened his eyes, the sharingan no longer present. Naru sat across from him, shaking as she clutched her legs hard enough to draw blood. Sighing gently, Ichihara reached forward, across the space dividing them. He wrapped his arms around Naruko's shoulders, pressing his chin down on top of her head as he rubbed circles on her back. A gasp mixed with a sob left her lips as she stared at the black shirt she was pressed into. "It's okay…There is nothing for me to forgive of you. You fought for my sister and you uphold her and my Mother's dream. I'll help you Naru, I'll help you obtain what my Mother and sister could not."

Sighing gently once more, Ichihara pulled Naru closer to him. He felt tears at the corners of his eyes, and allowed them to flow down his cheeks in rivers. He was sad that he had left his sister, that he had been tricked not just by the council but by his godfather. However, the happiness that he at least could watch over Minato's child overpowered everything else. In fact, he felt as though all the darker thoughts inside him were gone. It felt nice to have family again.

Outside the small hut, Jiraya leaned his head back against the wood walls of the building. Sakura sat on a rock beside him, reading from a scroll about Genjutsu. She hadn't set the scroll down since she had exited the home, trying to relieve the tension in her muscles by focusing on something other than what Naruko was telling the mysterious Uchiha Ichihara. Jiraya could tell that the pink haired girl was shocked that an Uchiha was actually alive, other than Sasuke, even more so when he revealed he was the child of the famed Blue Butterfly of the Leaf.

Next to Konoha's Yellow Flash, Oreshizoku Michiko was a legend of her own. She wasn't nearly as powerful, or displayed nearly as much power as Minato, however she was a prodigy in her own right. She had learned at a young age what the world truly contained, had taken her first life before she had turned 6 and had made Chunin beside Minato and Kushina at age 11. By age 15 she and Kushina were on their way to becoming Kenjutsu Masters, and by age 20 she had earned her title as the Blue Butterfly due to her Moonflower Kenjutsu style mixed with her strange seals that often had deep blue ink and formed different wing-like patterns. At age 22 she was a Hokage Candidate beside Minato, but declined the offer to instead marry Uchiha Iraku, revealing she was pregnant with Ichihara at 4 months less than a week later. She had Ichihara during the last year of the Third Shinobi War, and became a seal master.

Iraku joined the Anbu, and slowly Michiko left the life of a shinobi. She had the twins, and nearly 11 years later had Shashiko. Michiko was one of the few Kunoichi figures that girls could look up to, and strive to be that didn't have the main faults. She was strong physically and mentally, knew many techniques and mastered several styles of fighting along with seals. She was a Raven Summoner like Iraku and a Toad Summoner like Minato, however she too hadn't undergone the Sage Training. She had wanted her children to go through the training…however.

"Jiraya."

Snapping from his darkening thoughts, Jiraya looked up to see Ichihara standing in the doorway to his hut, or at least a clone of the boy. "We are done…Naruko needed a little rest."

Jiraya nodded, pain in his eyes as he thought about what the girl must have told Ichihara. It was one thing for some psychotic bastard to force the truth out for people to see plain as day, it was yet another thing for Naruko to tell the _brother_ that she had played a major role in his little sister's demise. "Alright."

Nodding to the Haruno girl, Jiraya allowed her to go in first, the clone dispelling when Jiraya followed.

I~~~~I

Kin Kitsune cursed inwardly as he laid Kakashi down on the bed at the Scarecrow's home, Iruka and Gin Okami standing behind him with Haku and Zabuza. "Zabuza, Haku, I suggest you report to Lord Hokage."

Tobirama was the one to speak up, leveling his masked gaze on the former missing nin. They nodded, Zabuza straightening as they left. Iruka frowned beside them, his fist clenching as he stared at Kakashi. "I'll go to…"

Minato nodded at the Chunin, watching him leave. Once he was gone, Tobirama shut the door. Minato activated the silence seals around the room, falling down to sit beside his student. His hand gently ran through Kakashi's hair as the silver haired nin groaned in pain, his eyes closed tightly in pain. "Tsukuyomi…"

Minato's fist clenched as his mind was brought back to the past, to the man who had wielded powerful eyes much like Itachi did. The man that had ruined Minato's future and his family's. "It's convenient that Madara is out at the moment, isn't it?"

Minato looked upward at Tobirama, nodding sharply as he pulled down his mask. His hair became its golden yellow, while Tobirama removed his own mask. "Yes. It's very convenient…Still I doubt that Madara had a part in this…It's obvious now that the man who attacked the village 13 years ago wasn't Uchiha Madara. It doesn't lessen my distaste for the man however."

Tobirama sighed gently at the remnants of annoyance and hatred in Minato's eyes, glancing down at the Copy Nin who was thrashing slightly in his bed. "Right now I'm sure that only my Niece can remove him from the Genjutsu since Hashirama is also with Madara…"

Muttering a soft curse, Tobirama looked to the roof. His cracked maroon eyes traced the patterns on the plaster and wood beams as he tried to think. "We need someone to inform Naruko and them to hurry."

Minato flinched at the words, staring down at his student as he pulled his mask over his head. "Especially since the Akatsuki will be after them next. Damnit…I wish we didn't have to keep such a damned low profile."

Tobirama replaced his mask with a sigh as he looked toward the door. "More like we can't be seen around Naruko outside the village. We are supposed to be the Hokage's personal force, not Naruko's."

Minato stood from his spot, releasing the seals on the room. Not even a moment later, the door swung open wildly. "Kakashi my Rival!"

I~~~~I

Naruko winced as she popped her neck, looking out across the dirt path they traveled on. Ichihara stood beside her, chatting with Sakura whilst Jiraya cut in here and there. It was odd, the blonde supposed, how Ichihara had simply decided to help them out. The village had been sad to see him go, however with his help over the month prior they had grown to be able to protect themselves. The villagers were nice enough to restock their supplies for very low prices, before the group continued toward the next town. It had been a few hours by now, nearing noon but still early enough to be morning. "So you are after Tsunade-Hime?"

Ichihara spoke up toward Jiraya, whom nodded sullenly. "Yup, the Old Man wants to turn her into the Gondaime. Of course will take some careful word play, but I'm not too worried."

Ichihara sighed at the dismissal of how hard the task at hand truly was. "She hates the position of Hokage, she calls it a fools gamble Jiraya."

Jiraya was about to retort when he noticed that Naruko had stopped in her walk, her eyes narrowed. "A fools job? Well isn't that just _foolish_ of her."

Naruko moved to clutch her necklace, a deep sorrow in her eyes as she thought of her father. He tried so hard to be what she wanted him to be, to become everything she needed him to become. He was still the Fourth Hokage, Edo-Tensei bullshit or not, and so were the others that stuck beside her and taught her. Madara was the only exception, however at this point while being the first one she had truly allowed past her walls, he wasn't nearly as close at the others were at the moment. After the Third Exam…She shook herself from the thoughts, focusing on the information she had been told. "The Hokage may be fools, but they aren't in any way _foolish_. At most they make stupid decisions along their career, but never do they do something Foolish. It's all for those they want to protect."

The Uzumaki thought of her smiling mother, who told Minato to continue protecting her, the mother that had argued with Minato over sealing Kurama inside of her, the mother that dreamed of being Hokage. A smile left Naruko's lips, sad, tortured, and wistful. "I'll show her that much."

I~~~~I

"I see."

The Green Spandex wearing Jonin held his chin in a thinking pose after Minato, or Kin Kitsune as his mask portrayed, told him about the situation. "We'll report to the Hokage now."

Gai nodded to them both, his lips holding a grim look as the two vanished soundlessly. "This isn't good…With Itachi having damaged Kakashi before going after Naruko…"

Shaking his head, Gai froze when the door behind him slammed. He turned sharply, and cursed upon noticing it slightly ajar. "That's not good."

I~~~~I

Pulling up to the small but colorful and lit up village they were staying at, Naruko couldn't help but feel an urge to spend her money. From beside her she could see Sakura preening from the amount of clothes and accessories displayed, Ichihara's eyes drifting to the masks and games. "Well Jiraya, I'll head to the Inn and get us checked in. You girls go have fun, and don't let Jiraya cheat you out of your Ryo."

Ichihara waved backwards at them in a goodbye, somehow having taken Naruko and Sakura's knapsacks in the process. "Well…since he ruined it I suppose I'll catch you girls at the hotel."

Smirking, Jiraya vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruko sighed at the antics of the two adults, turning toward Sakura. "Come on, let's get some food and then buy some things. I have an extra storage scroll if we need it."

Turning to Naruko, Sakura grinned and nodded. "It's okay to pamper yourself once and awhile, eh Naruko?"

The two took off into the town, stopping by as many stands as they could. Often enough Sakura would drag Naruko to a clothes store, where they would end up around 5000 Ryo shorter. The money they spent still didn't seem to even dent Naruko's wallet however, which automatically refilled itself with her personal allowance money and mission money she received. It was a neat seal she had learned from her father, and right now she was glad for it.

"Naru!"

Sakura nearly squealed, running up to a stall with masks. "Look at these, they're like the ANBU masks!"

Naru walked over, pausing to look at the masks in the stall. The clerk was telling Sakura something about the origins of a wolf mask displayed, however Naru's eyes were directed to the strange purple oni mask with red paint lining the eyes and white horns sticking out of the top, one on each side and one in the middle for a total of three. Ivory beads hung from the edges of the horns, and on ivory tears were painted on the cheeks. She reached out, gently brushing her hand over the surface. She felt a jolt, red eyes appearing in her head along with a white haired male, only for his hair to turn red as his eyes widened in shock and pain, and he was covered in white ribbons. She stepped backward abruptly, her breath leaving her chest. The mask still caught her attention however, and she turned to the clerk. "How much for the mask, sir?"

I~~~~I

Ichihara sighed as he concealed his Chakra, meditating on the hotel bed in the small room. He'd be sharing a bed with Jiraya, since the man was so cheap, and the girls would share the other bed. He had already placed their things on the mattress, and was now trying to relieve the tension in his muscles from the long walk and his thoughts. He remembered what Naruko had shown him, a pang filling his heart. He couldn't believe the council had gone so far as to tell him his sister wasn't alive, just so they could keep their 'weapons'. He was only 13 at the time, but he would have found a way to ensure that Sashiko and Naru were both safe from the old power-hungry geezers. "Sashiko…"

He tested his little sister's name on his tongue, allowing the sorrow to wash out in his words. He could feel the chakra building in his eyes, just as the door to the hotel room opened. "Hey Ichihara."

The Uchiha opened his eyes, blinking the blue orbs at the Red head standing in the room. The chakra receded from his eyes and he offered a nod toward the girl. She glanced away, looking embarrassed and like she wanted to say something but didn't know how. "Naru, where's Sakura?"

The red head looked over to him before glancing behind her. "She wanted to grab some food but sent me back because it was apparently a 'surprise' or something."

Her brow furrowed, and Ichihara froze as the image of Minato adopting his thinking pose seemed to appear behind the Uzimaki. They both had their right hands under their chins, their brows raised above their eyes whilst said orbs were narrowed on the ground in front of them.

Naru paused when a knock on the door sounded, blinking out of her daze and walking over. She was still slightly confused, muddling over what Sakura implied, and therefore careless as she opened the door. All too late Ichihara shot up while shouting. "Wait, Naruko don't-!"

The red head stood still as she looked up the black cloak with red clouds, her blue eyes gazing into onyx as her blood started to burn. She heard faintly the hissing anger of Kurama, barely audible. **"** _ **Uchiha!**_ **"**

Ichihara's hand gripped her shoulder and he pulled her back as the man reached forward, his pale skin glittering in the light. Behind him stood a taller male with blue skin and dark blue hair, a very large sword wrapped in bandages on his back. His eyes looked up as she was tugged behind Ichihara, said Uchiha pulling out a Kunai whilst settling into his stance, despite his shaking body. "I-Itachi…"

The sadness and betrayal in Ichihara's voice shocked Naru, whose Sharingan activated as she looked to Itachi in the doorway, his hand still outstretched. "Ihara-Ni. I'm surprised to see you here…"

The traitor trailed off, no emotion in his voice what-so-ever. From behind him his blue friend chuckled. "Uchiha Ichihara, huh? The Blue Butterfly of Konoha's only child. Thought to be dead after leaving Konoha for an 'abroad' trip 13 years ago. I'm a little surprised you know him Itachi."

Itachi didn't even glance back at his partner as he retracted his hand, tilting his head to the side slightly as he looked at Naru's eyes. "Guarding Naruko-Chan Ihara-Ni? I suppose since she is the closest to Sashiko-Chan it's only natu-"

Neither parties blinked, but even so none of them saw Ichihara as he slammed into Itachi, knocking him out of the room.

Ichihara didn't speak as he slammed his leg into the side of Itachi's face, only for the traitor to grab his ankle with his right arm. Itachi's eyes narrowed and he gripped the skin tightly before spinning and sending Ichihara at the wall.

Bracing himself, the Oreshizoku male forced chakra into his back as he neared the end of the hallway, wincing when he felt himself impact. The blue eyed nin flew past the walls of the hotel, straight out and over the streets. Itachi was quick to launch out after his attacker, watching as the boy righted himself above a shingled roof of a shop, scared and surprised villagers shouting as they ran away from the two nin. Itachi launched himself at Ichihara, leaving no room for errors as he started a battle of Taijutsu.

A soft grunt left Ichihara's pale lips as he moved his hand up and caught a palm aimed for his face, parrying it with a knee to Itachi's gut. The Uchiha blocked with his other arm, dragging his arms back as Ichihara aimed another kick at his chest. The attack hit and sent Itachi a bit further into the air while Ichihara vanished from his spot, only to appear behind his fellow Uchiha.

Ihara slammed his foot down on Itachi's chest, sending him down into the forest nearby before he shot after him. Naruko was quick to launch herself out of the Inn after him, avoiding a strike from the blue haired mercenary behind her. "Ichihara!"

Inwardly Naru cursed herself for not acting when she saw the man tense, but the off-hand comment about Sashiko had thrown her off. It was obvious the Itachi knew Ichihara, and how to push his buttons, but she still couldn't believe he'd take it as far as he had.

After pushing off several shops Naruko ended up in the forest to the side of the village, her eyes darting around as she searched for any disturbances. Hearing a snap, she turned and darted toward the sound as smoke rose up. After pushing off another tree, she broke into a clearing. Landing on the upturned battle ground, Naruko was greeted with the sight of the two former Leaf Nin having a Taijutsu match with both of their Sharingan activated. Distracted momentarily by the battle before her blue eyes, Naruko barely felt the air shifted behind her. She reacted naturally and her chakra surged to strengthen her back.

Naru managed to duck as a blade swiped over her head, before she pushed off the ground to avoid the same blade slamming onto her shoulder. She whipped her head around to face the blue skinned man, whom smirked at her with two rows of sharp teeth. "Well, you must be the gaki that went against Zabuza…I've been looking forward to this fight for quite a bit."

Naruko shifted on her feet uneasily, summoning up her chakra whilst passing her hands over her scrolls. Tagged Kunai fell into her hands, her sharingan activating as she glared at the man. "Hoshigaki Kisame…"

The red head knew the face of the man before her, having seen it whilst Tobirama was picking up on her studies on other villages. "Good, you know about me."

Kisame spoke up, hefting his blade effortlessly over his shoulder while he pasted an amused grin over his features.

Ichihara channeled chakra into his hands as he pulled out the blade on his back, instead simply calling out the name of the jutsu he was using. "Lightning Bird!"

The blade sparkled with his dark blue, bordering purple, chakra. The chakra then crackled, spinning up the blade and out the tip. It expanded at the sides to sharp points, giving the illusion of wings. For a moment, Itachi's eyes lit with a minimalistic amount of shock, before it faded and he flashed through hand signs. "Wind Style, Great Breakthrough!"

The spinning turbine tore the bird apart, however the sparks only turned into smaller birds. Ichihara flashed through some hand seals this time, before biting his thumb to brush the blood on his palm. He slammed his palm into the ground, his voice calling out. "50 Seals Style, Dusk Mist Arena Summoning Jutsu!"

The air grew thick with chakra, Itachi raising a hand to shield his face as the lightning birds started to combine with the faint humidity developing in the air. This resulted in them growing in size do to the added conductors. The lightning built in the mist, Itachi raising his hand to his lips as the jutsu neared. A giant ball of fire grew as he blew outward, the fire spinning toward the lightning birds. The birds slammed into it, causing it to emit sparks whilst Itachi retreated. The two Uchiha watched their Jutsu's clash from afar, thoughts swimming in their heads. "You are as proficient as ever in your Lightning Element, Ihara-Ni."

Ichihara ignored the compliment in favor of attacking Itachi with his blade, forcing the younger of the two men back. "Don't act like you have all the information on me Itachi…"

The flash of hesitation in Ihara's eyes was all Itachi needed to send him sprawling backward with a kick to chest with more force than before. "I have no need to act when I know."

"I-Ichihara!"

Naruko rushed toward the Uchiha as he skidded on the dirt, Kisame jumping back beside his partner as the red head kneeled at Ihara's side. Her hands formed a cross shape, two dozen shadow clones appearing around her as she set to work on healing Ichihara. "S-Shit…he inserted his chakra into your system…how the hell?!"

Itachi walked forward as the clones formed a barrier around the two, still holding the tagged kunai. "I found it fitting to down him with his own technique…To inject fire chakra into one's chest, causing the blood to become thin and the heart rate to pick up."

Naru forced more chakra into her hands as Ichihara coughed up blood, said red substance flowing down his chin freely. "N-Naru…G-get Jiraya!"

Despite being downed Ichihara still tried to stop the young girl from healing him, only to freeze when he saw her eyes flickering from sharingan to slit pupilled. "Not again…Not again."

Harsh whispers were said under Naruko's breath as she saw flashbacks to the night Sashiko had died, the truth appearing once more. When Itachi noticed the change in the red haired girl's demeanor he had to stop for a moment to try and understand. Meanwhile the shadow clones raised their weapons as they readied to attack.

Naru pulled her hand back from Ichihara to gather her chakra into her palm, before she slammed her hand against the male's chest. Ihara's eyes rolled back in shock as he felt his chakra get shoved aside in his body by another foreign chakra that searched for Itachi's. He grunted and bit down on his lip to stop any further sounds, Naru's chakra swirling around Itachi's own, before it suddenly and messily pulled it out when Naruko pulled back her hand once more. Despite the rough procedure Ichihara felt his chakra calm down without the intrusions, but he still couldn't stand as his blood cells tried to repair the inner burns inflicted by the two chakras.

Behind them Itachi was staring in slight shock at Naru, wondering how she had managed to expel his chakra. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his matured sharingan swirling as it morphed into six twisted petals. He launched forward, slamming his hand into the necks of the Shadow Clones, sending them to the ground whilst the original turned sharply to him. Her eyes were no longer in their bloodline state, instead the Kyuubi's signature orbs took over her normally blue eyes. "Tsukuyomi."

Itachi spoke as their eyes met, a weak 'no' heard from the man lying beside Naruko.

I~~~~I

 _The world changed, morphing around him. Surprisingly, Itachi didn't appear in his own world, but instead in an almost blank white space. Underneath him was an intricate sealing array done with black ink and silver edgings, the design simple but powerful. Naru stood in the middle of the seal, which was slowly eating away at itself. She clutched her head in her hands, whispering to herself. "N-No…Not again…Not them both."_

 _Itachi caught parts of what she was saying, his mind made up as he walked forward. He had meant to appear in front of Naru, but instead he froze as red chakra started to wind around his feet, coming from the seal beneath him as it suddenly cracked._ _ **"What a foolish girl…Allowing this bastard into your head after he hurt Ichihara…you're a disgrace Akihane!"**_

 _Itachi's head started to pound and a boy with red hair and red eyes appeared before him. The boy scowled in distaste and raised his hand, blood red chakra shooting out and engulfing Itachi, shoving him from the place._

I~~~~I

"I suggest you get away now, Itachi."

Onyx met red as Itachi stumbled backward, his right hand shooting up to grip his eye. He was shocked upon seeing Ichihara standing in front of Naruko, his arm raised with his blade drawn, his sharingan swirling in its Mangekyo form. "So you are using it…"

Itachi spoke calmly despite being outmatched by his senior, a smile appearing and vanishing on his face as soon as it came. He paused when he saw something in the distance, and felt his heart clench. Behind Ichihara, and rushing toward them at a very fast pace, where Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke's sharingan was active and he completely ignored his teammate as he flashed through hand signs. "I-ITACHI!"

Sasuke shouted, just as lightning grew around his hand and his speed increased tremendously. "No, don't Sasuke!"

Sakura shouted from beside Naruko, whilst Ichihara vanished from his spot beside the downed red head. Itachi merely raised his hand, catching Sasuke's wrist before the Chidori in his hand could even touch him. "Foolish Otouto…"

The raven gripped his little brother's wrist and twisted, snapping the bone. Itachi's Mangekyo started to form, despite the blood that was slipping from the bottom of his right eye. Sasuke looked up in fear, but before Itachi could attack him, Ichihara's blade came crashing down on the arm that had helped snap Sasuke's wrist.

Itachi was quick to pull away, watching as Ihara caught his little brother, his blade still raised. " _Leave_ Itachi. I am not nearly as good as you…but Jiraya is and I doubt either of you want to fight a Sannin!"

Kisame grunted from behind Itachi, speaking up. "Itachi…Your eyes can't hold up much longer, and I can sense Jiraya closing in along with another annoying tail from the Leaf. It's best we go." Itachi nodded to his partner, and both of them vanished in a swirl of leaves. Ichihara dropped his blade not too long afterward, turning himself quickly so Sasuke was above him as he collapsed to the ground beside the blade, his Mangekyo sharingan fading away to his blue orbs as his eye lids fluttered closed, a thin trail of blood leaving his left eye.

 **There we go, the next chapter. Over 5,500 words here. I was going to make this chapter longer, however I have been making really long chapters lately so I tried to shorten it. My average rate is probably near 5k words, which is a little much but oh well. Oh yah, I just realized I reached over 100 followers and favorites, so thanks so much for that! You guys are the main reason I write so much and try my hardest to make sense of the mayhem in my head. So, thanks once more for all the favorites, follows, and reviews!**

 **(6-10-16:Corrected Name Errors, Re-Edited Line Format, Fixed Grammar Errors, Fixed Line Breaks, and Cut Paragraphs.)**

 **Ichihara Oreshizoku-Outline**

 **The first child of Michiko and Iraku Oreshizoku. Often referred to as the Spark Butterfly due to his combination of his mother's Kenjutsu Style and Father's Lightning Seals, Ichihara strives to surpass his parents and make his family proud. He holds the Blood Style Bloodline and the Sharingan up till the second form, however he hardly ever used Blood Style due to its violent nature and avoids the Mangekyo because of the memories associated with its activation paired with the outrageous chakra usage. He was friends with Shisui and often would visit Fugaku with his father when Itachi was younger. At Thirteen his family was torn apart by the Nine Tails Attack, and believing all those closest to him to be dead, he left Konoha. He took up the roll of a mercenary and travelled the lands helping whoever he could. He is 25 nearing 26, but looks to be in his late teens.**


	21. XXI- Mission (Not)Done

**Chapter 21 already. So close to finishing the first part and yet so very far away…I have started to reformat my chapters to make them easier to read, since this story is almost over. At most I'd give it till chapter 30, and at least…around 25. The Tsunade Retrieval Arc has 2 or more chapters, then maybe one or 2 fillers, and finally the last Arc, The Uchihas' Betrayal. I should be able to write more now however since it is officially summer for me until who knows when in August, and then I'm officially a Freshman. Ohhh joy… It doesn't help that as I post this chapter I'm thinking about the stray my mother had to put down. Rest in Peace, Mindy.**

 **Just a side note, with this chapter comes the celebration for 50 Reviews (Thanks so much!) Which is a redone format of the first ten chapters, and two chapters added to ToaJ.**

 **Thank you to all that have reviewed, favorited, or followed. It means a lot that you enjoy reading what I write!**

 **Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto, its characters, or it's plot. I only own the Plot of this story, my own characters, and whatever crazy shit I pull in this story.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the ending of school the starting of summer, and the many many animals I've lost.**

Jiraya sighed as he looked down at the two Nin sleeping next to one another, a pink haired girl sitting beside the red haired one, whilst an angry Raven brooded in the corner of the room beside a Green garbed Leaf Jonin. "Jiraya-Sama, whose the boy?"

Jiraya looked to the spandex wearing Nin known as Might Gai. "Michiko's kid, the first one."

Gai paused and looked at the 'boy' in slight shock. "I-Ichihara!?"

Jiraya nodded and looked back to the sleeping mercenary, sighing gently. Sakura looked up from Naruko to catch his gaze, a worried frown settled on her face. "Why did Ichihara-San collapse all of a sudden?"

The Toad Sennin looked back to Ichihara, before walking forward to check the young man's temp. "He used too much chakra when he used the second stage of his Sharingan…I'm surprised he even has that stage though, even Iraku was unable to obtain it. We only know about it because it was written in the scrolls."

Sakura nodded and looked back to her female teammate, her hands clenching her skirt. "I can't believe that they'd attack the-"

She was cut off from her anger induced criticism by Sasuke, whom had stood and was pointing to Jiraya while glaring. "Why the hell does he have the Sharingan?! First Kakashi, then Naruko, and now some random boy whom you both seem to be surprised about even being alive!"

The Uchiha's voice rose as he spoke, Gai's hand gripping his shoulder as he stepped forward once more, forcing him to stay still. "Watch yourself Sasuke, this is one of the Sanin you are talking to."

Sasuke shook off Gai's hand with a grunt, still glaring at Jiraya. The white haired male only sighed and shook his head. "You're just like your father you know. Look, his name is Uchiha Ichihara. He left Konoha after the Kyuubi Attack. You really don't deserve any other information but I suppose I'll say it anyway. He is the son of Iraku Uchiha and Oreshizoku Michiko, and Aki's Pseudo sister Sashiko was his little sister. When Sashiko died she gave Naruko two of her bloodlines that we know of."

Glancing toward his Goddaughter, Jiraya allowed Sasuke to take in the information. After a few minutes of silence he spoke again. "The council wanted him back because of his bloodline but Konoha had long since lost touch with him. We only found him by chance really."

Silence descended in the room while Sasuke stared at his formerly lost Relative, both curiosity and the budding edge of anger in his orbs. Gai watched him closely, ready to interfere if need be. Sakura didn't seem to pay any real attention to her Uchiha Teammate, instead focused on the red head in the bed. _'Please be okay…'_ Her eyes conveyed just how much she wanted Naruko to be okay, to not be affected by what had happened.

Sakura sighed gently and looked down at the necklace that Naruko sported, her green orbs darkening as she thought of another red head with a familiar Necklace. At the time when she had seen it, she hadn't known the significance it held. Now she did. She knew that Ken's necklace was the sign of Naru's other clan, the Oreshizoku. It was an odd thought to think of Ken and Naru as being almost related, especially since his father was an Uzumaki, as far as Naruko had told her anyways. Sakura allowed her eyelids to flutter close as she thought about the two; they were both very similar and very different after all.

I~~~~I

Red eyes faded to black, black hair cascading down padded shoulders. Uchiha Madara stared at the sky as snow fell around him, melting as it came into contact with his body. "Hashirama?"

Madara turned to face the Wood user, finding him brushing off some clumped mud from his uniform. Behind them lay several ninja, all dead, several covered in either burn marks or earth. "Looks like we got the last of those nin posted in this region…We should be good to head back now."

Madara nodded toward the Nidaime, sighing inwardly as he glanced toward Konoha. Hatred still resided inside his chest, pulsing and never vanishing despite the time he spent there. He helped Konoha for Naruko, the girl who knew his pain more so than anyone else could. At first he had believed the girl would escape and he could take up training her so they could leave Konoha, however the predicament with her father and the other Kage being assigned to watch over her was something he hadn't accounted for. He also hadn't thought that of all the ones revived, he would be the first she'd open up to, the first to drift away from. Her hatred still remained, Madara wasn't stupid enough to believe it was gone, unlike the idiot Yondaime.

The blondaime (Something he had heard Jiraya say more than once to the former Hokage) didn't want to believe that his own daughter could hold malice against his home, the place he protected. That was his mistake, one of many. Madara didn't register himself following Hashirama, and instead continued to think about Naruko and his relationship.

The red haired Jinchuuriki was nothing like the other two, Kushina and Mito. Madara had seen Kushina before he had died, through Zetsu's eyes, so he had an idea of what kind of person she was. Naruko's façade was closer to her mother's personality than her actual personality was. In fact, Madara more closely compared Naru to Tobirama, and she could pass as his daughter if she didn't have the red hair, and she wasn't so easily blinded by her emotions.

Regardless of which Hokage the girl resembled the most, Madara couldn't stop himself from wishing the girl to be okay. She was only an obstacle in his plan, the Moon's Eye Plan, and yet… Sorrow befell Madara every time he thought of extracting the Kyuubi from Naruko. Hatred blinded him every time someone threatened the girl or went at her with the intent to harm. Jealousy took over when Madara noticed her closeness with others, the way she was drifting away from him ever since it had been revealed that she had killed her sister.

"Madara you alright?"

Hashirama spoke to him from his right, his eyes crinkled in worry for his childhood friend. "I'm fine."

Madara bit out the reply, closing off his thoughts from the red haired Uzumaki child that had changed him so much. "Just fine."

I~~~~I

Blurry Azure eyes opened to see the pale blue ceiling of the Retrieval Group's hotel room. A groan left Naruko's soft but chapped lips as she sat up, a glass of water pushed under her nose. "Drink, Naru." The redhead took a drink of the water offered to her, recognizing the voice of Sakura. "Tch, finally awake Naru?"

Naru's head snapped to the side so fast she nearly spilt her water, her blue eyes meeting a similar colored set. "I-Ichihara. Are you okay?"

Ichihara nodded to the girl as a quick reply, sighing gently as he tilted his head to the side to work out a knot in it with his right hand. "Yup…well for the most part. I won't be able to use Chakra for a day or two without passing out but I'll be good otherwise."

Sakura scoffed from behind Naruko, making the Red head glance back at her teammate. She found the pinkette scowling at Ichihara, whom now took on a sheepish smile. "His eyes are pretty messed up too. It's a good thing we are going after Tsunade-Hime, otherwise you wouldn't be getting much help for the damage you caused with that Doujutsu of yours Ichihara-San."

"I'll say, why didn't you tell us you evolved the Sharingan?"

Naru turned her head to face Jiraya, whom was smirking at Ichihara. "That's not just something you keep under wraps Ihara."

Ihara froze at this question, his smile fading as he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "It's not something I'm proud to have Jiraya-Sensei. My father died to give me these eyes…And as you can see they harm more than they help. They are a last resort and even at the end of the day I wouldn't consider using them unless it was for someone else's safety, and against another Doujutsu user."

Ichihara explained to Jiraya, turning back toward Naruko. "My situation is similar to yours, but I was born with the sharingan so when my father used Zero Seals Style, Transfer Overlay to keep me alive he ended up doubling his Sharingan on top of mine, giving me my Mangekyo…However since I didn't unlock it normally I can't control it and it uses too much Chakra."

Naruko nodded, flinching at the mention of the Jutsu used by Sashiko to give her the bloodlines she had. "It took me awhile and a lot of chakra exercises to get mine to work. It must have been really hard for you since your chakra was already developed."

Ihara nodded in confirmation to Naruko's theory, before stretching his arms above his head. "If you are okay we can get back onto the road. I heard you needed help with a jutsu."

Ichihara's carefree smile had returned, but none of the three in the room were fooled. "Alright Ihara, I need to inform Gai and I'm sure that Sasuke would like to meet his cousin of sorts."

A soft groan left Ichihara's lips at Jiraya's statement but he nodded to the two girls and followed Jiraya outside.

I~~~~I

"Hello Sasuke, I'm Oreshizoku/Uchiha Ichihara."

Ihara held out his hand to Uchiha Sasuke, his blue eyes closed in a half smile as the boy regarded him coldly. Sasuke took his hand and shook it, surprised when he felt a slight spark. Ihara glanced down in slight surprise, his blue eyes filling with light while his pale blue chakra encased Sasuke's hand in sparks. "Well what do we have here…You're a Lightning user huh?"

The smaller Uchiha nodded to Ihara warily. Gai and Jiraya stood off to the side talking about the mission, watching the interaction between the clan members in interest.

Ichihara chuckled and pulled his hand from Sasuke's, not missing the faint glimmer of sadness at the loss of Ihara's static chakra. "I also have a Lightning Affinity. I like to use it a lot more than my fire or wind affinities, but I'm also rather good with them."

The youngest raven nodded and narrowed his eyes slightly on Ichihara's eyes. "How come your eyes are blue?"

Ihara paused at the question, biting his lip before replying. "My father's eyes were the same way, even though he was a full blooded Uchiha. It's a form of mutation I guess."

Sasuke nodded in acceptation to the Oreshizoku's reasoning. The two boys turned toward the hotel as they hear footsteps however, just in time to see Naruko step down beside Sakura.

Sakura wore her normal red blouse with the black skirt and grey shorts underneath, while Naruko wore a copy of her Third Exam Outfit again. "Dobe, finally awake?"

The Uzumaki barely glanced at Sasuke before she sighed in annoyance and turned to face Jiraya. "Hey Ero-Sennin when are we heading out?"

Jiraya face planted at the blatant disrespect his Goddaughter showed him, Gai frowning and muttering about something most un-youthful.

"S-Soon Gaki! And would it kill you to call me Sensei?! I did help teach you the Rasengan!"

Jiraya shouted at Naruko, whom only raised a brow and narrowed her eyes at the same time to seem uncaring. "Whatever Ero-Sensei."

Ihara snickered from behind Naruko, earning him a glare from the affronted Gama Sennin. Sakura only sighed and stepped beside her partner. Sasuke frowned at being ignored and walked up to them as well.

"What's with you Dobe, is it because Kakashi was attacked by… _him_?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and hissed out the last word to his sentence, barely catching Naruko's head whipping in his direction. "Kakashi-Sensei was attacked?!"

From behind the children Jiraya and Gai shared a look of both exasperation and worry. Neither had wanted to tell Naruko that Uchiha Itachi had attacked and put Kakashi into a Genjutsu comma.

I~~~~I

 _It was dark, and light at the same time. Red and white blurred around Kakashi's white hair…or was it black?_

 _The Hatake was unsure of anything in the world he was forced to endure, including the pain he felt as Uchiha Itachi stabbed him yet again. "One minute down…Taisho."_

 _The boy pulled the blade out slowly and Kakashi grunted in pain, his voice sounding so far away even to his own ears. "Why'd you do it…Itachi…"_

 _Itachi paused to tilt his head and the blade dragged out once more as another slowly slid in, several more Itachi's appearing around the post Kakashi was pinned to with Kunai and spiked shackles. "Which one are you talking about? Killing my clan, putting my Outoto into Tsukiyomi, or going after Namikaze Akihane Naruko?"_

 _Kakashi's black and sharingan eyes glared at the Uchiha before them as he mentioned Naruko's full name._

 _"Y-You know."_

 _The hissed accusation sound a lot less scary when faced with the points of a dozen blades, ready to stab into Kakashi's body once more. "I know a lot more than you would believe Taisho. Including what Naruko is capable of…Where Ihara-Ni currently is, and just what you fear the most."_

 _Kakashi froze in shock when he was suddenly chain to a floor in front of Itachi, a little girl with red hair strapped to the post he had been earlier, her blue eyes staring down at Kakashi as a growl left her throat. "Let us go d-dammit!"_

 _Itachi drove the first blade through Akihane's heart._

I~~~~I

Minato sat worriedly beside Kakashi's bed, clutching the boy's hand. Well, Kakashi was more of a man than a boy but as the former sensei of the Hatake, Minato couldn't help but consider his a boy. Kakashi wouldn't feel the same way, since her had been distant the moment Minato was assigned as his instructor, but it didn't change how Minato felt. "Kakashi…"

Minato sighed heavily and glanced at the charm bracelet that matched his Daughter's, gently tugging on it with his free hand. The bracelet unclasped and fell into his hand. He rubbed the symbol on the charm once before he placed it in Kakashi's hand. "Come home soon Naruko…"

I~~~~I

A sneeze broke through the quiet gathering of students, Ichihara rubbing his nose in irritation whilst Sakura giggled from behind her hand. Sasuke stood off to the side, with Naruko, whom was still silent after being told what happened to Team 7's Sensei. Gai had gone back to inform Konoha of what had transpired, whilst Jiraya had offered to take Sasuke with him so Gai didn't have to watch the boy. The group was walking toward another village in the distance, Sakura holding a scroll in her hands as she read and walked. Ichihara glanced back to the team of Genin behind him every once and a while, keeping an eye on Naruko.

The Red head of the group meanwhile was contemplating the most painful way to get back at Itachi, her anger built up over the fact that Jiraya hadn't wanted to tell her at first. He had explained exactly why but it didn't bug Naruko any less. Kakashi was hurt, _had_ been hurt by _Uchiha Itachi_. The fact that Kakashi was hurt didn't even hurt the most. What really angered and made Naru's chest ache more than anything else was the fact that Itachi had only been looking for Naruko and Kakashi had tried to protect her.

"Naruko…If you keep scowling like that I'm going to do something about it."

Ichihara's words barely made Naru look up, her eyes a dark blue that held gilt, hatred, and sadness inside. Ichihara narrowed his eyes as he noticed the guilt, a mute sigh leaving his lips before he stalked back toward the red head. She yelped when he grabbed her collar and dragged her to the front of the group, and continued past Jiraya. "U-Uh Ihara?"

Jiraya spoke up, before he caught the blue gaze of the boy and a grin fell on his lips. "Oh, alright. Come on Gaki's, you get to see something very few people ever do."

The two remaining Genin shared a look before giving Jiraya a warry glance, making him role his eyes. The two spoke at the same time. "What exactly?"

Jiraya sweat dropped at the behavior the two displayed, before speaking. "And Oreshizoku beating some sense into someone."

Naru tried to ask Ichihara what he was doing, her heart pounding whilst she wanted nothing more than to rip herself from Ihara's grip and tear into hi- Naruko felt herself tense at the thoughts, finally managing to stop Ichihara in his tracks. The boy turned to her, only to find her hair shadowing her eyes. "Naruko, stop that."

The red head looked away, ashamed that she had thought about hurting Ichihara, one of the few ties she had connected to her elder sister. She winced at the commanding tone of Ichihara, and was shocked when a fist flew at her face. She easily ducked to avoid and sprang upward to avoid a swipe of Ichihara's leg at her feet. She flipped in mid-air to avoid Ichihara's ax kick and rolled to avoid a roundhouse kick. "W-what are you doing?!"

Ihara ignored the Uzumaki's question and instead launched at the girl. He stuck to his personal style, a mix of the Uchiha Interceptor Fist, his Father's Broken Dance Style, and his grandmother's Blood Trance Style. Form the sidelines Sasuke and Sakura picked out different moves or combinations they were familiar with. A grin overtook Jiraya's face as he noticed Naru's eyes dull and her body relax. "Jiraya-San, what is the other style that Ichihara-San is mixing with Naru's style and Sasuke's Style?"

A hum left Jiraya's lips before he answered the little Pink haired Genin to his right. The Raven at his left payed close attention. "Ichihara likes to mix and blend styles until they are his own. This one is a repeat self-support offensive style that allows Ichihara to use the same moves rapidly in order for him to gain certain speed, agility, and strength perks. It's a mixture of the Uchiha's Main Style, The Blood style Taijutsu Form, and a Dueling Style his father created."

The Genin both nodded and focused on the fight once more, Sasuke's sharingan activating to record the battle. Naruko was mostly dodging Ihara's attacks, however when the elder aimed a strike at her shoulder her own arm shot out. She swiftly moved under Ihara's strike and her palm hit his chest. She twisted around Ichihara's right side, the one with the extended arm, and her left hand shot out and jabbed him in his side. Naruko flipped over a foot swipe from Ichihara and the heel of her boots pushed into Ichihara's chin as her arms pushed her off the ground. Craters formed under the palms of the Uzumaki as she sent Ichihara flying across the trail, right into a tree. Naru landed on the ground with another flip and steadied herself, taking the stance she had used against Madara.

"Good…"

Clapping was heard as Ichihara pulled himself from the tree, smiling at Naru whilst she stared at him. Naru finally sighed and straightened, a soft smile dragging over her lips. "Thank you, Ichihara." Ichihara only smirked at Naru and walked over, ruffling her red locks. "Ihara-Ni is fine, Naru-Chan."

I~~~~I

After Team 7 plus two finally got back on the road, Sasuke and Sakura picked up a conversation with their teammate. Naruko conversed back, and Ichihara allowed himself to talk to Jiraya. The traveling ninja reached the next village on their stop soon after, the adults splitting from the children with word to meet at the Inn they would be staying at. Sasuke stayed close to his teammates as they wandered around, the Trio grabbing some fried squid to munch on, as well as a bundle of candies in a bag. Naru gave Sasuke a storage scroll, and soon they had bought quite a few items. Sasuke was less enthusiastic about being out of the village than the girls, but still joined in even if it was awkward.

After they had finished their exploring Naruko led them toward the middle of town to find a map, sighing gently as she stretched. "I still can't believe all that has happened…Jiji-San is going to freak when he hears about Ihara-San."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the Red head alongside Sasuke, before they both glanced at the seals on Naru's belt. "Say Naru, didn't you want to grab some more sealing supplies and check out the scroll shop?"

The Uzumaki glanced back toward her team and nodded reluctantly as she sighed. Sakura lifted her hand and pointed toward a shop down the strip of businesses. "There's a shinobi shop over there."

The other members of Team 7 barely could see Naruko as she disappeared in a blur toward the shop, both running after the girl as soon as they registered what had happened.

"You just had to tell her?"

Sakura glared at Sasuke, huffing as she raised her hands. "How was I supposed to know she'd go crazy?!"

Neither commented, and instead hurried toward Naru as they spotted her browsing the store. She was already near the Jutsu scrolls, glancing them over as the Teller came toward her. "Oh, a Kunoichi? Welcome to my shop."

Naru nodded in greeting to the shopkeeper, pausing as she saw a black scroll about 5 inches in diameter. It had a black covered and white ink labelling the top. "Oh that's an old scroll. It's from Wave Country, they shipped it over here since they don't have much in the way of Shinobi. It's an old history scroll from Uzushio I believe, very rare."

"Naruko it's about time to meet up with the Geiser and Ichihara. Just buy the scroll or let's get going."

Sasuke spoke up from beside Sakura, earning him a nudge from the girl. "Fine, fine. How much do you want for the scroll?"

The shopkeeper smiled brightly at the red haired Kunoichi and replied. "I'd say 1500 Ryo would be enough."

Naruko dug her hands into her pockets and pulled out Gama-Chan, slipping the shopkeeper about 2000 Ryo instead. "Keep the change. Thank you Sir."

Naru walked out of the shop without looking back, instead staring at the scroll she held. She was so intent of her wish to read its contents that she ran into someone. The Uzumaki quickly regained her balance, yelping as she heard a growl. "Watch it, Gaki."

Team 7 all looked toward the person that Naru had run into, each one of them freezing. The red head herself seemed to be stuck between yelling back and apologizing. Instead, Naru took a deep breath and spoke to the busty blonde haired woman wearing a pale grey kimono-blouse and black shorts that she had bumped into moments before. "T-Tsunade."

Hazel eyes narrowed on Naru, shock and recognition in them. "Kushina…?"

 **And finally finished. Took way too long to write down this 3900 worded chapter. This new format of writing is one I will be updating future chapters into, and it will be the final form of the chapters. I have already gotten around 3 of the chapters done, and I am halfway through the fourth. Counting this one is five, and hopefully by the end of next month I'll have them all completed. Thanks for reading, review if you have suggestions or questions!**


	22. XXII- A Kick Behind

**Hello again! Welcome to the 22** **nd** **chapter of TLJ…It's so close,** _ **so**_ **close to being done. It's maybe 4 chapters away, and yet still it feels like a million chapters. Well after working and stopping and then getting back to working on this chapter several times, I finished it. I'm glad I did, and as always I will go back over it, fine tune it, and make things easier to understand. Right now though…Well I really am not in the mood.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, only my cats.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the ever fluctuating heat that makes it difficult to get comfortable.**

 _Team 7 all looked toward the person that Naru had run into, each one of them freezing. The red head herself seemed to be stuck between yelling back and apologizing. Instead, Naru took a deep breath and spoke to the busty blonde haired woman wearing a pale grey kimono-blouse and black shorts that she had bumped into moments before. "T-Tsunade."_

 _Hazel eyes narrowed on Naruko before the woman spoke softly. "Kushina…?"_

The world seemed to freeze as Naruko stepped backward, her eyes falling back to her teammates. "Akihane, actually…Naruko Akihane, Tsunade-Hime."

Naru's voice was soft as Tsunade stared at her intently, her gaze going up and down her and her company before resting on their headbands. "I see."

The blonde haired Senju seemed to understand exactly what they were there for, and she turned and yelled sharply to someone behind her. "Shizune!"

I~~~~I

Jiraya groaned upon hearing the same words once again. Nothing on Tsunade, not even a glimpse of the elusive woman. He muttered under his breath as Ihara sighed beside him. "Jiraya-Sensei don't get so down. Let's go find the kids so we can get some dinner and go to bed."

Despite not wanting to turn in just yet, the Gama Sennin knew that Ichihara was correct. The boy was seldom wrong and always seemed to be able to say just the right things in order to calm people down. Jiraya guessed that Ichihara had inherited the trait from his mother, since Iraku was only ever proficient in destroying minds, not restoring them.

"Ihara-San, Ero-Sensei!"

Jiraya grunted at the familiar name calling, and turned sharply to reprimand a certain Uzumaki. He froze in shock when he saw three Genin walking toward him with a blonde haired woman and a raven haired woman following them from behind. "You owe me 500 Ryo Ero-Sensei, I found her first."

The smirk that took over Jiraya's Goddaughter's face made him deflate despite their search finally being over. "W-What?!"

Tsunade cracked a smile from behind the group as she watched Kushina's child make her Perverted Teammate pay her over a simple bet. It was very entertaining, and the added name that Naru called Jiraya made it even better. Her smile faded slightly however when she caught the blue eyes that were narrowed on her, her breath catching in her throat as she recognized the features that were dominate on the boy's face. He nodded to her in acknowledgement but did nothing more.

Ichihara was surprised that Tsunade had in the end, been found by Naruko. Still it was good that she hadn't been found by either of the others, since Ihara wasn't exactly supposed to be alive, and Jiraya…was Jiraya. Despite these factors however Tsunade still agreed to hear Jiraya out. The entire group headed toward one of the few restaurants opened at that hour of night. It ended up being a Ramen stand, which caused Naruko to buy everyone food so she could have as much as she wanted.

"So Jiraya, what did you want?"

Tsunade spoke up to her former teammate, watching as he slid over a bottle of Sake. Naruko sat to his left, her team also to his left. Ichihara sat between Naru and Jiraya, and Tsunade sat to Jiraya's right. Shizune was to Tsunade's right, holding Tonton, their pig, as she ate her Yakisoba. Jiraya chuckled softly and rubbed the back of his head, downing his saucer of Sake before allowing Tsunade to poor him more. "Well you see…"

Naruto beat Jiraya to punch when he trailed off, swallowing her Ramen before she spoke. "Hokage-Sama is retiring. He wants you to fill the position for him."

At the end of speaking Naru caught Tsunade's eyes, her own blue orbs narrowed and her hand was clenched around her chopsticks. The girl waited for Tsunade to speak, trying to figure out how the old woman would react.

"So Sarutobi is retiring? About time. He should have simply left the position alone after Minato died. It's a fool's gamble Jiraya, and I want no part in it."

Naruko scoffed at the woman, earning her a warry glare. "What Gaki?"

Tsunade demanded an answer from Naruko, only to receive a sigh in return as Naru hopped off her stool. "You enjoy making fool's gambles when it involves your addiction, but you can't put your life on the line? You can't make the ultimate bet and take the position that your Grandfather and Granduncle had for so long, protect the village that your family died creating?"

Azure morphed into red as Naru's sharingan stared out into the empty street, her hands in the pockets of her coat as she shrugged at Tsunade in nonchalance. "That's rather foolish…Senju Tsunade."

The cold orbs turned on the Senju, just as she was about to yell at the Uzumaki. Blonde locks fell over an enraged red face, and hazel eyes widened in shock once more when she saw the red that had overtaken Naruko's own eyes. Nothing was said, Ichihara paying close attention to his self-proclaimed little sister alongside her team, Jiraya trying to decide when he should interfere. However, the words that Naruko had spoken shortly after the group had picked up Ichihara rang in the original Mission partakers' minds.

"My father…you say his name with loathing and also regret. My grandfather figure you speak of in disgust. Overall you are just someone who thinks that they understand the pain the world brings, but doesn't. Your brother died fighting in the Second War as well as your Uncle and lover? My sister died in my arms by my own hand and I was left alone, without parents. My village hates me because of something I cannot control and I am forced to endure it because I am their little sacrifice. They see my face and hear my name, but the stomp all over the legacy my father left and the alliance my mother's clan forged with them over brotherhood and understanding. And then…there is myself. I have so many emotions, negative and positive, the combined force of me and my elder sister that I can't control them. They even work against me, turning my own hatred onto myself…"

Naruko took a deep breath, bringing a hand to touch the necklace that her father had given her. "I got to meet both my mother and father…but my mother tried to kill me and my father tried to change me. The one I thought understood ignores me, and the two that try to understand forget who _I_ am. My Sensei is in a coma because he protected me; and my teammates…Well I don't know anymore. You can ask them if you want. My point however, is that you seriously need to stop moping and hold your head up. So what if people die? It's _life_."

The Uzumaki turned to face the stars as tears slipped out of her sharingan orbs, shimmering in the light of the moon. "I won't let you step on the title of those that tried when an entire village didn't, Tsunade."

Finally Naruko vanished in a soft swirl of wind, the soft mutter that left Ichihara's lips breaking the silence. "She sounds like Kushina…"

The Uchiha stood up and stalked out of the booth after the girl.

I~~~~I

It was odd for Tsunade to feel so torn apart over something so trivial, to feel as though her heart had been stomped on until it had finally burst over the words of a child. Uzumaki/Oreshizoku/Namikaze Akihane Naruko, the girl with a Thousand Sorrows. Closing her hazel eyes, Tsunade took another bottle of Sake and downed it without a thought. The little girl sounded and looked so much like her mother, but she had the heart and wits of her father. Kushina was caring, but she was also just a happy girl by nature. Naruko's kindness was calculated, earned, and her heart wasn't one that gave up.

"There is more to you coming back than accepting the hat as Hokage Tsunade. Coming back means Naruko has a piece of her family again…it means that Ichihara doesn't have to forget his Godmother again. Konoha isn't the only one that needs you."

Jiraya's voice was soft as he spoke to the woman that he never seemed to be able to stop thinking of. It went without saying that despite Naru and Ichihara, there was also Sarutobi, the revived Kage, and Jiraya himself. Despite all the years that had gone by, despite the pain and the happiness that Jiraya felt, nothing changed the fact that Tsunade was precious to him and he didn't want to see her hurt or see her walk away again. He had already dealt with it enough in his long life; he had already lost so much. The list was far longer than Tsunade's, but he had never told her as much. He supposed he shoulder have, if Naruko's telling her had this effect.

"Are you sure you aren't just using them as a front because you want me back?"

Inwardly, the Gama Sennin cursed the Senju's ability to read him so easily.

"Orochimaru contacted me you know…before you guys came. He wanted to offer me my brother and lover."

Jiraya turned toward Tsunade, his eyes darkening as he replied to the woman. "Don't trust him Tsunade…If you do you'll lose a lot more than you'll gain."

Tsunade glanced over to Jiraya and asked what he meant by that, taking another swig of her bottle before slamming it on the table.

"I mean…that when the Invasion happened Orochimaru revived Kushina, Iraku, and Mito and set them on Naruko, Sarutobi-Sensei, and the Treasury…"

The bottle dropped from Tsunade's hands and her head whipped toward Jiraya so fast that the bottle ended up flying out of the booth and across the road. "H-He did what?!"

I~~~~I

"Thought I'd find you here, since my mom and Mila were the same."

Ichihara stepped beside Naruko as the Uzumaki Kunoichi stared into the stars, lying back against the cool grass in the opening of the forest near the village they were staying in. "Oh?"

Ihara sat down beside Naru and laid back beside her in order to view the stars as well, a wistful breath leaving his lips. "Yup. My father never understood why, he was always one for the sun you see…But the two of them loved the cold and the stars. They always said that the Night was when everything shined, instead of just the sun."

A contented hum left the pale lips of the Uzumaki who lounged beside the Oreshizoku, neither wanting to get up or ruin the moment. They continued to water the twinkling lights in the sky, content despite the chilly air. "Sashiko…she would always drag me out at least once a month to watch the stars. She said that she had done it even when I was very little, too little to remember even with the help of Kurama. I continued to do it…even after the incident."

Ihara sighed gently and turned on his side, leaning on his right arm as he face Naruko. The girl glanced to him in shock when he smile and his other arm pulled her into his chest. "I just realized…It must be close, right? The Kyuubi festival is on your birthday and summer is close to ending."

Naru nodded solemnly and leaned in as Ichihara hugged her close. "Let's stay awake…and talk about our families, okay? Just tonight…"

The Jinchuuriki agreed, speaking softly about Sashiko and her when they were very young, telling Ichihara as much as she could as the moon rose high into the sky. She spoke about the earliest and latest memories she had, told the Uchiha about the scrolls Sashiko had left and the way that the girl had known that she might die soon. Naru told Ichihara about her father and what he did to earn her trust, talked about meeting her mother and the pain that followed. In return Ihara told Naruko about his twin siblings and their pranks. Her spoke fondly of his parents and Naruko's parents, and when the time came he even talked about the family he made in the Shinobi he worked with. At the end of their discussion, Naruko had fallen asleep with tears slipping down her cheeks while Ichihara carried her back to the Inn, right to her Teammates that waited inside the room, awake and worried.

I~~~~I

Despite staying up late and exhausting herself by letting out her pent up emotions, Naruko still woke up before the sun and headed back to the clearing from the night before. She situated herself and summoned around a dozen clones before setting them to work practicing. This left her to read the scroll she had gotten the other day, unrolling it until a good meter of it was laid over her legs. Starting at the end, Naru worked her way all the way to the top and started rolling the end so she could read more.

During her reading the Uzumaki didn't notice that her Teammates had come to watch, Sakura holding onto two sticks of dango. Sighing gently at the fact that Naru was training, _again_ , as she had been most of the time when they walked, Sakura stalked over to her teammate. She stood above the girl, waiting until Naru looked up before handing her the Dango. "You left extra at the bar last night so we bought Dango today."

Sakura spoke up, before she plopped herself right next to Naru and started to scan the scroll in the other girl's lap. "Wow…This is actually really cool…Uzushio, The Village Hidden in Whirlpools. Home to the Uzumaki Clan and several other factions…"

Sakura trailed off in shock and started mumbling under her breath before finally leaning in closer to read more. Her teammate shook her red head and continued with her own reading, Sasuke begrudgingly walking up to the tree. He finished his spicy tomato Dango and leaned on the trunk as he glanced down at the scroll the other two read. He too started to look over the words, skimming over the less important bits, focusing more on the clan and shinobi facts. The mentioning of the Uzumaki, Oreshizoku, Sarutobi, Senju, and several other familiar clans made him glance to Naruko, however he kept his thoughts to himself and slipped down the tree to read the words more clearly.

This was the sight that Jiraya and Tsunade walked in on, all of Team 7 huddled around a scroll as they read together. Sasuke leaned over Naru's right shoulder, his elbow residing on a knot below him whilst Sakura leaned over Naru's left arm, grasping the left side of the parchment whilst the girl squeezed in the middle grasped the right. All of the Genin were entranced by the history written before them, confusion, annoyance, happiness, surprise, and slight hopefulness in their features as they unrolled the scroll a little more, a clone of Naruko rolling it at the end. In front of the team that read together were Naruko's clones, training like there was no tomorrow. "Quite the little group, eh Hime?"

Tsunade tried to ignore Jiraya's words, but in the end they clouded her mind, bringing up happiness, wonder, and jealousy. The Senju was glad the group was close, surprised that something like that could happen and that these children had been the ones to do it, and she envied them because her team had never once been able to sit peacefully together. It seemed unfair that the group of children in front of her were closer that she and the other two supposed Sannin had ever been.

The thoughts of the Last Senju made her think of her other teammate, Orochimaru. He had given her a choice, heal his arms and get back her brother and her lover, or walk away and he wouldn't bother her again. Of course, Tsunade didn't believe that Orochimaru would keep to the latter deal and instead would force her into healing his arms. Still, even if she had chosen to aid Orochimaru, Tsunade was unsure of whether or not she'd be able to heal him. His arms had been sealed in such a way that yin and yang chakra from an external force was cutting off the flow of Orochimaru's chakra or blood to his arms. The seal was complicated, too complicated for Tsunade to understand. It was one thing to be able to force your Elemental Chakra into someone else without a Doujutsu like the Sharingan or Byakugan to guide you, it was completely different for someone to split their chakra between the dark and light and then push them inside someone else, whilst keeping them separate.

Tsunade shook her head with a sigh, earning her a glance from Jiraya as she glanced down at her hands. "I believe I've made my decision Jiraya…I want to see what that girl is capable of."

Opening her eyes, Tsunade stalked toward the tree that Team 7 rested under, her eyes displaying her determination. Jiraya followed behind her in confusion, wondering exactly what his teammate had meant. The adults stopped a meter from the group, Naru's eyes drifting toward them before her teammates followed her gaze. The Red head sat up straight and handed her scroll to the clone rolling the ends so that she could put it away. "Tsunade."

Naruko spoke to the Senju, tilting her head to the side as her eyes grew darker. Tsunade nodded and spoke up, her voice unwavering. "I've decided that I will go back to Konoha… _If_ you can kick my ass Gaki."

A smirk drifted over Naru's lips, and she stood slowly, raising her hand. "Sounds good. Just be warned, I won't hold back."

Tsunade raised a brow with a smirk dancing on her lips. "Is that so?"

Naruko didn't answer, she merely raised her hands to summon three clones, two pulling back whilst she and her copy faced the Senju Heiress head on. "Bring it, Oba-Sama."

The comment signaled the start of the match, Jiraya rushing to remove Naruko's team from the kill zone as Naru raised her hands to form release seals. "Wind Style, Vaccum Bullet!"

Tsunade easily side stepped the roaring chakra, not even glancing behind her as the twin bullets smashed into the trees directed opposite of the village. Hazel eyes met deep Azure, and red hair whipped over tanned shoulders opposing blonde hair falling over cream colored skin.

"I never said start, Gaki."

Naru's face twisted into a sad smile as she and he clone tapped the sides of their Senbon pouches. "You wanted a battle, not a spar."

I~~~~I

Standing near the field of battle was a man with pale skin and piercing gold eyes. The man had long raven hair and wore a simple beige shirt over black shorts tied together with a large purple rope. At the man's right hand side stood a fair-haired boy wearing a black version of his master's clothing and black rectangular-rimmed spectacles. "Lord Orochimaru…Should we interfere with the fight?"

Orochimaru sighed heavily, glancing down in distaste at his useless black lumps for arms, before looking back toward the battle between Uzumaki and Senju. "We'll wait and see, Kabuto."

Kabuto nodded toward his master while his right hand pushed his glasses further up his nose, the onyx eyes reflecting behind the glass. Neither of the former Konoha-Nin moved, watching as Naruko summoned more clones, the two from the beginning having vanished whilst the other had been popped when Tsunade used her super strength on Naru. A giant crater had formed in the large clearing, giving both Nin more room as they drifted around one another in a manner more akin to a deadly dance.

The red head of the two females suddenly fell back beside another clone, the two extending their arms in front of themselves to summon a swirling sphere of bright blue chakra, bordering on white that whipped around in the air.

"That Jutsu…The brat is too much like that bastard father of hers!"

Orochimaru's hiss startled his servant, whom watched as his master clenched his teeth in anger upon seeing Naruko using the Rasengan. The girl's eyes had lit up as well, taking the form of her fully mattered Sharingan as she launched herself at her opponent. It was quite startling when Naruko was pushed back by Tsunade's supreme strength, only for those two clones that had hidden themselves at the beginning of the battle to become known.

I~~~~I

In the opinion of a certain Red haired Jinchuuriki, the battle was playing out just as the girl had hoped. Tsunade had left herself vulnerable in the beginning by brushing off her clones as nothing to fear, despite Naruko's own proficiency in them because of her large than average chakra reserves. Tsunade wasn't a total fool however, constantly striking the ground to disrupt the clones and Naruko's own movements, never noticing that Naru herself was leading her in a circle around the training ground, right back to where Naru had started with her three Shadow Clones. Now was as good of a time to strike as any, and Naruko was ready to pound out an apology from the woman.

Before doing anything else, Naruko quickly used a Kawarimi with one of her hidden clones, one more created in the line of Tsunade's fist to transfer new orders to Naruko's personal army. With all the moves in play, Naruko waited with her chakra hidden behind a chakra suppression seal, marking her as a clone and not the original. Tsunade fell for the trick, surprisingly enough.

"Rasengan!"

Naruko's clone shouted out from in front of the soon-to-be Gondaime, cueing the other Naru clone to attack with the original. A smash sounded as the first clone and the original Uzumaki both appeared behind Tsunade's back, their hands raised in a one-handed seal. "Wind Style, Wind Cyclone!"

The Senju Princess turned around just in time to be hit with the full force of the wind jutsu. Naruko's clone grabbed the arm of the original and started to spin her around. Finally Naru was released, her right leg reared back in preparation for a kick.

Naruko's foot slammed into the backend of Tsunade, just before an elbow dug into her back and brought her down into the ground. The red head grunted and winced as her head slammed into the earth hard enough to make her see stars, her ears popping at the pressure while the breath left her chest. "W-What the hell?!"

From the sidelines, Sakura shouted in surprise at seeing her Teammate land a hit on Tsunade, her green orbs alight with both worry and shock. "N-Naruko….Y-You Baka! Tsunade-Hime didn't literally mean you had to kick her in the behind!"

The outraged pinkette turned dark red as she reared her fist back and readied to pummel her teammate, stopping short only when she heard broken laughter. "S-She never said non-literally…Sakura-San."

Naru's eyes met the empty ones of her opponent, her hand raising up in front of the woman. "It'd be nice to get a little help, Tsunade-Hime."

Tsunade seemed to snap from her daze, reaching to pull the Uzumaki girl up. "That means you win…Gaki."

Naruko only offered another sad smile to Tsunade, shaking her head with a sigh. "I win an apology for you disgracing a title my father holds dear…I won't force you to do anything else. I know the feeling of being trapped where you aren't at home."

Tsunade and the others could only stare in wonder at the Jinchuuriki.

I~~~~I

Red spikes fell over blue eyes, thin smooth fingers trailing over a lavender painted mask, moving over the white horns as the girl furrowed her brow. She couldn't understand why she had bought the mask, much less why it seemed so familiar. The mask was always somewhere on her, she never wanted to leave it behind. She had done it once, when Itachi had attacked and she hadn't had time to grab her sealing scroll. She was nearly frantic when she discovered Jiraya had taken the scroll, but she was fine after she got it back.

None of that made sense to her. It was a mask of an Oni, a demon. She didn't understand the significance of it.

"That's quite the artifact you have there, Naruko-Chan."

Naru's head snapped up and her hands forced the mask against the scroll on her right side, sealing it away as weapons appeared in her fingers. Her Azure eyes narrowed while her brow furrowed in shock once more as she took in her opponent. The silver haired Medic pushed his black rimmed glasses further up his nose as he smirked, his dark eyes glinting in amusement. "Come now, is their really a reason to be so hostile?"

Naru's back straightened, shivers running down it at the tone that Kabuto used as he addressed her. She stepped back, closer to the tree she had been resting under. Only a day ago she and her team had been reading together under the tree, but now they were off with Ichihara getting food. Tsunade was off with Shizune, and Jiraya had gone out the night before without returning.

"I would think that after meeting with Itachi-Kun, Ihara-Kun would keep a better eye on you…It seems he's as stupid as you are."

The comment made something switch on in Naruko's mindset, her eyes flashing red as she spoke up to the traitor. "You should shut the hell up…Because I can't guarantee I'll let you live for that."

In an instant Naru had released her weights, appearing in front of Kabuto in a blur as she kicked him away. Her hands flashed through hand signs, before she slammed them into the ground. "13 Seals Style, Hells Gate!"

A seal formed from her chakra, shooting around in a spiraling odd pointed seal that soon glowed red. The seal was around 13 meters in diameter, capturing Kabuto a good 5 meters inside. More chakra was pushed into the seal before it exploded outward; erupting into a column of bright yellow flames raging around the Uzumaki Jinchuuriki.

Kabuto was quick to remove himself, landing outside the circle with some burns on his skin. The pillar was already dying, leaving a lightly panting girl in the middle. Kabuto paused when his vison suddenly separated, Naru's body looking cut in half for a moment, before he reached up and touched the right lens of his glasses. The glass was cracked from the heat.

"I see…You used that as a Beacon, didn't you? It's not very affective since you don't have the affinity for fire, but I must admit it is impressive that you have a non-5-count Jutsu learned. Such jutsu's are quite hard."

Naru ignored the praise, settling into a defensive stance, her eyes narrowed not on Kabuto but the space beside him. In a spike of chakra Orochimaru appeared beside Kabuto, and Tsunade appeared at Naruko's side. Behind her stood Ichihara, his arm holding back Sakura and Sasuke as he sucked in a breath. "Orochimaru…"

The Snake Sannin chuckled, his eyes glaring into Naru's head. "Naruko-Chan…Ichihara-Kun. It's a pleasant surprise to see you, even after what happened."

Naru's hands tightened into fists and she blew out a heavy breath, calling forward her chakra. "It's too bad that Tsunade-Hime decided not to heal me for her Lover and Outoto…Because now I can't pay you back properly for what you did before. Kabuto however…can."

The snake's eyes drifted over toward Ichihara, just before Kabuto launched himself forward at Naru. He was surprised when Tsunade appeared in front of him, kicking him away from Naruko. "Get away from her…"

I~~~~I

"K-Kami…D-Dammit! S-Shit Ken, just get it over wi-ARGHH!"

A soft sigh followed the yell, along with the buzzing of chakra starting up. A green glow fell over the wound in Temashi's side, where Ken had just pulled out a poisoned Kunai. "Tou-San, don't rush me."

Ken's chakra worked the cells faster, making them duplicate and piece together as he removed the poison from his father's body. He really needed to pay Orochimaru and his damned Sound Four back for hurting his father; he really didn't appreciate the extra bitching that came when Temashi was injured. There was also the fact that his father dropping in the middle of combat scared the shit out of him, since he only ever did that when he used a last resort like his fight with Orochimaru.

When Ken had ran from the Third Exam, he never expected to get away so easily, nor did he expect to be tracked down a mere two days later by Orochimaru's elite force. Normally the two red heads would be able to beat the Sound Four with little problem, especially together, but Ken was low on chakra from running and his father was still recovering from his 100 Seals Jutsu.

"Alright, the poison is out. I'll still have to make an antidote but this'll keep you out of danger for a good while. Now hold still, I have to force the wound closed…"

Temashi groaned once more, biting into his lip to silence another scream of agony as his skin was knit together by a row of thin tan chakra threads, though if you looked closer you'd see the tiny lengths of chain holding it together. "Alright…"

Ken's eyes closed for a moment as he concentrated, forcing himself to remain awake long enough- there. The wound was closed now, and it allowed Ken to open his eyes and smile tiredly at his father, just before he collapsed at his side, breathing heavily.

Temashi grunted and forced himself upward, reaching to drag his son to his side before leaning back. He sighed as he saw the shadows under his son's eyes, the flickering light of the candle hanging from the windowsill making the boy seem even more warn out. "You push yourself too hard Ken."

The Uzumaki leaned down and kissed his son's head, brushing back the bangs pasted to his tanned forehead with cold sweat. The boy's hair was let free, the spikes falling down over his shoulders. It made the father chuckle gently, knowing just how much Ken hated leaving his hair down. "You truly out did yourself…Damnit if it doesn't burn like a bitch though."

"Temashi-San, can't you watch your language?"

Temashi paused, turning his head toward the owner of the dull voice, his eyes dimming as he sighed. "Sorry Sasori-San…It just hurts a lot."

Sasori of the Red Sands only shook his head and set down a tray of food with some pills beside his two 'guests', his black cloak with red clouds lined in silver brushing the floor as he sat down beside his old friend. "Eat. The boy will be fine."

I~~~~I

Naru was frozen stiff when she saw Kabuto reach up and cut his hand, freezing Tsunade in her tracks as well as the blonde started shaking. "See, Tsunade-Sama…this is your weakness. It's disgraceful that someone like you is reduced to this…"

Kabuto scoffed at the medic Nin reduced to a shaking woman in front of him, gazing upward at Naruko as the red head turned to look over at Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin had Ichihara wrapped in a snake, the boy glaring at the pale skinned man as he whispered into his ear. "I-Ichihara!"

Naruko had to force herself to try and move, but Kabuto was quick to stop her, gripping her shoulder tightly as Orochimaru kicked Ichihara to the side, sending him rolling across the ground as he groaned. Behind Ichihara stood Sasuke, his sharingan ablaze with two tomos per circulating in each eye. "Get away from him!"

Sasuke shouted and rushed forward, holding a kunai as he aimed to get Orochimaru away from the downed Uchiha. The younger didn't fare much better however, and his kunai was reversed on him, cutting open his arm as he fell back. Ichihara tried to force himself upward while Orochimaru licked his lips as he stared at the throbbing mark on Sasuke's neck. "Sasuke-Kun…you can do better tha-"

The Snake Sannin was unable to continue, because in a single flash of bright red, Naruko appeared in front of him and sent him back toward his apprentice. The Naruko in Kabuto's grasp popped without another word, and both of the men landed several meters away. Kabuto's lip was now bleeding, Orochimaru's enraged eyes narrowed on Naruko as she gazed at the ground, hair falling over her eyes.

"You-"

Orochimaru wasn't allowed to even speak, Naru cutting in. "Tsunade…are we really so much alike?"

 **And done. I actually finished the 23** **rd** **chapter before this one, but you know sometimes it gets a little hard to write. It doesn't help that it's nearing triple digit heat in my area, and we can't use fans too often. My room may be the coolest in the house but it still is hot. Anyways I should get this finished pretty soon, by the time school starts at the earliest, September the latest. I really don't expect it to take too long but you never know. Well thanks for reading, Review if you have ideas, comments, or questions!**

 **PS-That little snip-bit of Ken and Temashi was pretty unexpected, neh? It's not in a good spot but I still want to go over the chapter later, even though I have the new writing style done. I still want to tie everything together.**


	23. XXIII-Hafu Returns

**The 23** **rd** **Chapter is up! It took just as long as the previous chapter to get this one done, but oh well I managed. Please enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto, only my Plotline and my OC's**

 **Chapter Dedicated to all the longtime reviews, favoriters, and followers!**

"I see…"

Naruko spoke softly, her eyes downcast as her lips started to twitch upward. "Do we really give up so quickly?"

The head full of red hair rose slowly, and the locks fell to the side to reveal Naru's fully matured Sharingan. Everyone around her froze at the glare that Naru sent Orochimaru, the cackle that left her lips forcing a shiver down their backs. Ihara tried to push himself up from the ground below him, worry in his eyes as he watched Naru tilt her head back and give a full blown laugh. The girl stopped after a moment, her hands dropping to her sides as she stared at the clear blue sky. "Tsunade…I had such hopes."

With that said Naru raised her right hand and held it in a one-handed seal. "Unseal…"

The weights on Naruko's legs dropped to the ground and Naru rushed forward without thought or ambition, simply drawing a tagged kunai from her pouch as she appeared in front of Orochimaru's assistant that was seconds away from killing Tsunade. The red head's foot dug into Kabuto's head, sending him skidding across the dirt. The kunai in Naru's hand flew after him, lighting sparking around it as it encased the boy in the shocking chakra. Kabuto screamed his eyes wide as Naru flashed through hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Naruko's hand slammed into the ground, smoke billowing around her as a silver fox appeared at her side. "Take care of Tsunade."

The fox nodded without speaking, turning swiftly to go toward Tsunade. One of its five black tipped tails brushed Naru's cheek as the girl stalked forward, anger clear in her eyes. She vanished once more, appearing near Kabuto. By now Orochimaru had regained his bearings and was launching toward the girl in anger. "Y-you brat!"

The Hebi-Sannin barely got a few meters closer before Ichihara had launched back into action. His knee struck Orochimaru's cheek and his elbow twisted around to lodge itself into the Sannin's back. Ihara bounced back and landed near Sakura as the girl healed Sasuke's bleeding arm, the sharingan that Ihara possessed going deathly still. Orochimaru turned to face Ihara as he twisted to land on the ground, his eyes narrowed. "Ichihara-kun…offering yourself up so quickly?"

The hiss was enough to disgust the other Konoha Nin, and make Ichihara wince. "Shut up and fight Orochimaru! That's the only way I'll let you get to Naruko or Sasuke, understood?!"

Without waiting for a reply the Uchiha launched himself at his opponent, flashing through hand signs. "Lightning Style, Lightning Phoenix!"

Ichihara let his arms spread, clutching Kunai in each hand as lightning shot from his arms and spiraled at the tips of the blades. He tossed them toward Orochimaru and flashed through more hand signs before blowing out a large bullet of compressed air, earning him an enraged growl from Orochimaru as he dodged the two kunai, only to get struck by the giant volley of air. His black arms hung uselessly at his sides.

Naruko stood before Kabuto as his hand clutched his stomach. She crouched down, meeting the boy at eye-level while she pressed a kunai to his neck. "You heal quickly…but how fast can you heal when I cut off your head, aye Kabuto?"

The enraged Jinchuuriki hissed at her silver haired enemy, a voice whispering in her ear. It told her to end it, to watch his head fall from his shoulders and laugh at his incompetence. The burning edge of bloodlust was pushed back however, when Naru shoved Kabuto back into the ground, her kunai drawing blood from his neck. She tilted her head in a questioning manner, while Kabuto stared at her in confusion. "W-What are you…?"

The Silver haired medic trailed off as Naru flipped her Kunai and stood, turning away from the boy. "I have no need to kill someone as insignificant as you…I only care for ending Orochimaru."

With those words spoken the Uzumaki Kunoichi walked away from her enemy, toward the battle Orochimaru was having with Ichihara. From behind her Kabuto ground his teeth together, a retort leaving his lips for he could think it over. "Walking away, Naruko?! Are you so afraid to kill after discovering what you did to your sister that you can't even end me?"

Kabuto scoffed and smirked as his opponent froze in her tracks, her hand clenching around the Kunai in her grip. "If you can't even kill someone as _vile_ as me…then how are you going to survive? You're too weak Naruko. You lose focus over one measly death…over one stupid little girl who couldn't take a stab to her back-"

Kabuto froze mid-rant when red chakra started to build at Naruko's feet, swirling around her in a deadly grace. The red head turned to face Kabuto, her eyes darkened to the same maroon that covered her body in a cloak. Her pupils became slit and she hissed out in anger toward the medic. " _I dare you to finish that sentence Kabuto!"_

Orochimaru and Ihara parted from their combined blows, each turning toward the enraged Jinchuuriki that stood in front of Orochimaru's right hand man. "Shit…"

Ihara cursed aloud, forcing chakra into his legs as he readied himself to spring between Naruko and Kabuto. From behind him he heard Naru's teammates call out to the girl, but neither was acknowledged. Instead, Ihara heard Kabuto speak with a smirk on his cracked lips. "-from her own little sister."

The air became stale as the chakra spread outward from Naruko in a shockwave, scorching the ground around the girl while it stung Kabuto's skin. The boy shouted out, only to be silenced when Naruko appeared above him, her chakra-covered hand slamming into his chest. Everything went silent as the blow impacted, before a shockwave threw everyone but Orochimaru off their feet. Ihara muttered and shot to his feet as the rush of hot chakra flew overhead, and killer intent leaked in the air. Kabuto was gasping as he tried to breathe, his chest slightly caved in while blood shot from his mouth onto Naruko's face. The girl didn't even seem to notice, her mouth twisting into a feral snarl as she lifted him up and kicked him across the field, her hands leaving large 3rd degree burns where they met skin. "I warned you, _Bastard!"_

None of the present fighters could move as Kabuto was beat to a bloody pulp by the Konoha Jinchuuriki and all her fury. Naruko's hair lifted around her head, several spikes gathering together to form fox ears whilst she sent her target high into the air. Her hand outstretched, and in her palm a swirling blue sphere appeared. Ichihara recognized the technique and his stomach dropped when Naruko outstretched her hand, driving it into Kabuto's chest as he fell right on top of her. The man coughed up more blood on Naru's face as his body bent at an awkward angle, a large crack sounding in the area.

"Naruko-Chan…What immense power…"

Orochimaru licked his lips as he whispered under his breath, watching the target of his interest drop his assistant to the side. The girl's chakra didn't recede however, and she turned to face Orochimaru. "Naruko-Chan…how about I offer you a deal?"

The smirk that overtook the purple lips of the Hebi-Sannin's face unsettled every single one of the Konoha Nin, including Naruko. The mentioned Kunoichi didn't move from her spot, glaring at the cause of her pent up anger with her slit pupilled eyes. "What makes you think I'd ever take it?! You bastard…"

Tiny fists clenched and the red eyes looked down at the ground as Naruko struggled to calm her breathing. Inwardly she wanted nothing more than to attack the bastard Hebi-Sannin, but she forced herself to remain still since she wasn't sure she'd be able to _stop_ if she started.

"Simple…I'll bring back Sashiko for you."

Instantly Naruko felt her heart stop, her eyes blurring as her chakra stopped in its constant dance. She couldn't really register anything outside the words that Orochimaru had given her, the choice that she had tried to make what felt like ages ago. She could have her sister back…She could see Sashiko again.

The red head's self-centered view was broken however, when Ichihara shouted at Orochimaru. "Y-You sick _bastard_! I won't let you disgrace my sister in such a way…You'll change her, use her and make her into your own sick _puppet_!"

The words brought the Jinchuuriki back to the present, back to reality. She realized it was foolish to think about getting her sister back again, since she didn't want that for her. Naruko didn't want her sister to be a prisoner in another person's body; she didn't want her to be a pawn that Orochimaru used for his every whim, a controller for Naruko's own behavior. Just the thought of putting her elder sister through such a think…it spurred Naruko's hatred for the man before her to an even greater level. She heard the voice louder this time, shouting profanities at the man that couldn't hear them, throwing curses that he couldn't comprehend. Naru could however, the red haired Uzumaki could easily see those threats come to life, could see the actions that the voice in the back of her mind wanted to take. _**"Kill him…"**_

Red eyes shot upward, small clenched hands gripping into soft red locks as Naruko let out a scream, the curse mark on her neck pulsing once before the red chakra surrounding her started to spiral out of control, forming a column of fire around her much like earlier. She screamed, earning her worried shouts from her friends and a gasp from the bastard Sannin that started it in the first place.

" _ **Rip him apart…"**_

Tears slipped down tanned cheeks with three whisker birthmarks, only to be evaporated by the chakra licking at the skin. The scream faded away as the red hair gathered together, just before the chakra imploded. _**"END HIM!"**_

"NARUKO!"

Ichihara shouted and dashed toward the area of impact, his voice cracking in worry as he scrambled to get to the girl. However, when he was apart half way between the Uzumaki and Orochimaru, the chakra began to fade away. It drifted apart, the sphere opening to reveal a boy with red spiky hair, his bangs pushed apart and kept in braids at the side of his head with black and white beads. His eyes were a dark maroon, and he had a fanged smirk adorning his tanned face. _**"It's been far too long…The Kitsune was far stronger than I would like to admit, holding off on me like that. What a troublemaker."**_

The boy whistled and glanced to Ichihara, his eyes lighting up as his smirk became soft. _**"Stay back Ichihara-Kun…don't want you getting hurt as I carve that snake to pieces for threatening Sashiko.**_ **"**

The boy warned Ichihara, turning to the after-mentioned Sannin. Orochimaru watched him in wonder, his gaze turning toward the curse mark on the boy's neck. "Y-You…You're her…"

Kurai Hafu scoffed at the accusation, his hands outstretching as dark red chakra formed at his hands. _**"No, I'm a part of the Kitsune. My name is what I am to her…Kurai Hafu!"**_

Within a single second Kurai vanished and reappeared in front of Orochimaru, the blood chakra built around his hands forming sharp claws that tore into Orochimaru's chest as he backed away. Kurai smirked at the man and continued his assault, laughing in a menacing matter as he spun around the Sannin. The Ninja sided with Konoha could only watch in worry and shock as Kurai _played_ around with Orochimaru. The darker half of Naruko was nothing more than an insane laughing mess that wanted Orochimaru bleeding out on the ground in front of him.

" _ **Stop dodging, Hebi!"**_

Kurai shouted at Orochimaru in annoyance, his eyes narrowing as his laughter died off and a scowl formed on his face. He backed away and started to flash through hand signs while more chakra built around his body. The blood chakra started to darken until it was no longer red, matching the black sleeveless shirt that Kurai wore, along with the black shorts and faded combat boots. _**"Black Blood Style…Black Blood Dragon Jutsu!"**_

A roar broke past the shout, the chakra surrounding Kurai shooting forward like an arrow as it aimed itself at Orochimaru, powerful jaws made of silky chakra swallowing the Sannin whole. Kurai continued to glare at the spot where Orochimaru was being tangled in the mass of black chakra however. His hands going through more hand signs. Instantly the chakra surrounding him expanded into a box around him, blocking Orochimaru's head as it stretched out with Kusanagi sticking from his throat. Kurai remained still, the blade bouncing off the barrier that soon folded in on itself and shot toward Orochimaru's head, threatening to swallow it whole. Orochimaru withdrew before the chakra could however, his body launching itself out of the blood dragon. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, his hair matted with black blood whilst his eyes were narrowed in a glare at Kurai Hafu. "Y-You…"

Kurai's lips twitched and he stepped forward menacingly. _**"Me?"**_

However, before Kurai could continue his walk, he felt a blade stab into his back. He gasped, his eyes glancing back to face the silver haired medic that had healed from Naruko's earlier assault. "A-A fitting end…don't you think? To be defeated the same way that you killed your own sister…how Ironic."

Kabuto hissed at Kurai before jumping to land beside his Master, clutching his stomach still. Kurai grunted and fell forward with a hiss, glaring at the silver haired menace. _**"O-Oh you're fucking kidding me…"**_

The blood chakra shifted around Kurai as he snarled at the two Sound Nin. _**"You dare speak of her…after what you said earlier…I'LL KILL YOU!"**_

Kurai tried to stand, only for him to fall back down when the cursed seal on his neck pulsed. Orochimaru licked his lips when he watched the cursed seal suck in the blood chakra, effectively weakening Kurai. "You'll have to wait on that…"

Orochimaru chuckled, pausing to glare down at Kurai as the cursed seal turned his chakra against him and started to build on his skin, forming strange black markings that crawled up his shoulder. "Do enjoy my gift…and make sure to remind Naruko-Chan of my deal. _It's still standing_."

"Get the hell away from my Goddaughter right now Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru frowned and glanced behind him, finding Jiraya standing there with Shizune, looking a little worse for wear but in a better state that the snake Sannin himself was in. "Very well…Kabuto come on, we're leaving."

Kabuto nodded to his master and brought his sleeve out, revealing the mark on his arm. The medic's other arm grabbed his master's shoulder, and the two vanished in a reverse summoning.

Left in their wake, Ihara, Sakura, and Sasuke all ran toward Kurai as the cursed seal pulled out his chakra, his features vanishing, replaced with Naruko's. Ichihara was the first to reach the girl, pulling her into an embrace as she felt forward from her kneeling position. "H-Hey…it's alright, he's gone…"

Naruko shook in the embrace of the Oreshizoku male, a soft sob leaving her lips as she buried her face into his neck. "D-Dammit…I-I wasn't strong enough…Kami Dammit…"

Sakura gulped from behind Sasuke, both of them catching Ihara's eyes as he slowly stood, pulling Naruko's into his arms bridal style. "Go see how Tsunade is doing…I can manage with Naru." Reluctantly the two parted and went toward the five-tailed fox that guarded a worried Tsunade, Jiraya and Shizune rushing over to meet Ichihara as he rubbed Naru's back. "I'm going to take her back to the hotel room…Shizune if you would follow I'd like for you to check her wounds…?"

Shizune nodded to show she would, glancing back at Jiraya to watch him accept Ichihara's choice. "Go, I'll deal with Tsunade and the Gakis."

Neither adult took long in vanishing to the Hotel, too worried about the red haired girl to do anything else.

I~~~~I

 _It was dark, as it always was in the dank sewers that substituted as Uzumaki Naruko's mindscape. The water dripped off the many pipes, drops splashing on the girl's immobile body. The red head's Azure eyes stared at the ceiling as her back lay against the water covered floor of the sewer. Kneeling at her side, a hand reached to brush the water from Naru's cheek, was Kurai. The manifestation pulled his hand away after brushing his co-creator's cheek, turning to face the looming beast that growled in the cage formed in front of the boy._ **"** _ **Ahh…irritated are we Kurama? I couldn't pass up my chance, you know that. It's not like I killed her or anyone she cares about."**_

 _The irritating boy smirked coyly at the centuries old Kitsune, his eyes lit with a form of pleasure at the situation he had caused. Kurama wasn't the least bit amused, his eyes darkened beyond their gold hue._

" **Shut up, even if you are part of them both, that doesn't mean I** _ **like**_ **you, flesh bag. You hurt both Sashiko and Naruko, stooped so low that you forced the one Uchiha I don't have to** _ **mind**_ **into doing something that tore her** _ **apart**_ **to the point where her chakra** _ **ate itself!**_ **"**

 _Kurai flinched at the mention of the unfortunate events that actually caused Sashiko to lose her Natural Chakra, or Sage Chakra. He had known the moment the girl had used those dammed eyes on him that she wasn't going to last as long as she had wanted, that she wouldn't be able to watch over her Little Sister nearly half as long as she had wanted to. It was done though, Kurai had made his decision. He would rather that the girl hadn't suffered_ because of him _, but not everything turned out the way everyone wanted it to._

" _ **You act as though I do not regret hurting Sashi…though I am glad, because she can actually pass on this way."**_

 _Kurama growled at the foolish little boy in front of him, rising up on his haunches._ **"It doesn't matter, because now that her soul isn't** _ **sealed**_ **it can be used as a puppet, just like Orochimaru said you insolent brat!"**

 _Kurai froze at the logical and un-thought-of consequence of his anger at the red head lying at his feet, and he felt his anger rise. He shouldn't have intervened, he knew that now, but like he had thought earlier._ It was too late.

 _Neither of the beings trapped inside of the Uzumaki body spoke for several minutes, Kurai sinking back down to his knees next to Naruko as his sharpened teeth ground down onto one another._

 _Naru remained impassive, even when Kurai's fingers ghosted over her face and shut her eyes in a chilling gesture of death. The girl still breathed, but the action still seemed symbolic enough to Kurai._ _ **"No promises…Kitsune. I hate your guts…I want you to suffer as she suffered, to feel the betrayal that she felt, and that will never change."**_

 _There was no reply, and Kurai leaned over to brush his lips over Naruko's forehead, forcing part of his chakra, Sashiko's remaining Yin Chakra, into the girl he loathed. He pulled away and his lips twitched as a fanged grimace set itself on his fine features, his eyes darkened on his look-alike._ _ **"I just can't do anything without hurting Sashiko or her memory any further…and we both have the same goal anyways."**_

 _Azure eyes snapped open once more, just as Kurai turned to face Kurama and dragged a hand through his hair with a smirk._ _ **"I won't be nice about it though…Now then leave Kitsune, the adults need to talk."**_

I~~~~I

Uzumaki Naruko shot upward in her bed, clutching the white coverlets tightly between her white hands, her eyes darkened to a near-midnight blue. Her breathing came out in short pants, cold sweat running down her back as she thought of the little meeting inside of her mindscape. Her hand shakily raised itself to her forehead, brushing the same spot Kurai had kissed. _'W-what is he…'_

Naruko couldn't think clearly, her head pounding as she fought back the exhaustion in her limbs. Her retaliation was futile however, when a set of firm pale hands forced her back against a punch of propped up pillows, one of those same hands catching the wrist of her raised right arm. Thin long fingers wound around her wrist, removing the exhausted girl's hand from her head. "Rest, Akihane-Chan. You are trying to fight back against a foreign chakra in your body. You need to rest."

The somewhat familiar voice lulled Naruko enough that she allowed her eyes to slip closed, her right hand weakly clutching at the same hand that had removed it. "I-Ihara-San…"

Naruko's voice cracked as she whispered the Uchiha's name like a prayer, her entire body giving into its needs as she sunk deeper into the pillows around her. Her hand still clutched Ichihara's own, and he made sure not to let it go as he gently removed enough pillows to get the girl back into a comfortable position, relief washing over him.

The bright blue eyes of the Oreshizoku male never left the face of the Uzumaki resting in the bed beside him, his raven hair ruffled and falling over his face as the window beside the bed blew in a cool breeze. "You should rest Ichihara, that's the third time the Gaki has woken up these past two days, she'll be okay."

A rather well-endowed blonde haired woman spoke as she rested her slim hand on the scolded Uchiha's shoulder, her voice firm with a caring edge. Tsunade Senju did not want to watch her Godson fret over her somewhat-family member, especially when he looked nearly as bad as the girl with chakra poisoning. "I can't, Tsunade-Chan. She's what little I have left…I don't want her to wake up alone."

Tsunade inwardly cursed the stubborn nature of Clan Children, before swiftly grasping the nape of Ichihara's shirt, shocking the boy enough to make him squirm, before the woman with the strength of 100 settled him on the bed next to Naruko. Hazel eyes narrowed in warning whilst the Senju medic glared stubbornly right back at her godson.

" _Lie down and sleep_ , or so help me Ichihara…"

Tsunade's voice rose in octave, the threat clearly empty despite the edge to the blonde haired woman's words. Ichihara, despite his nature, relented at the look. He knew that his godmother couldn't do much to him considering he had done enough himself by not sleeping for 3 days, only eating a few bites every day.

Ignoring the nagging pride in his heart, Ichihara finally settled himself beside his unofficially adopted sister, his hand still clutching her own.

Tsunade left after ensuring that the foolish son of Michiko's would stay in the bed, shaking her head in annoyance whilst a sad smile twisted onto her lips as she shut the door. "Poor boy adores that God-daughter of yours, Jiraya."

The sudden addressing to the Toad Sennin standing outside the hotel room that the two tired Nin slept in startled Jiraya, nearly making him jump. He cursed and rubbed the back of his head as he noticed Tsunade roll her eyes at his antics, the smile never leaving her lips. The sight made him sigh, as he knew just how much Tsunade hated being an emotional hag.

"Yeah, I know…It's not just because of Sashiko either. Ichihara has been missing something ever since the Kyuubi incident…and now he found it. Someone to give the love that was cruelly snatched away to. Naruko just happens to be his little lost puppy."

A scoff alerted the Sannin that Tsunade didn't exactly agree with his words, but he wasn't really worried that much over it. In fact, the Toad Sennin only felt more confident in his choice of words when he heard the small noise.

"He's what she's been looking for as well though, you can't even deny that, Hime."

Tsunade didn't have the heart to tell the man he was right.

 **There it is the somewhat-end of the Tsunade Retrieval Arc. Next is possibly a filler that edges into the Uchiha Betrayal, but don't expect too much. It's pretty late and I'm tired, scheduled for a shopping date with my mom in the morning (Coupons and Food stamps galore!)**

 **This chapter reached a little over 4k words, and it is a little funny since without the Author's note and the last sentence this chapter would be exactly 4k words.**

 **Kurai Hafu(Darker Half)**

 **Age-14(Combined ages of Sashiko and Naruko when Sashiko's soul was sealed inside her sister, and the years after that up until the current time.)**

 **Gender-Male(Appears female when influencing Naruko's body, but the form turns male when he takes control)**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood limit-Blood Style, Black Blood Style**

 **Relations-**

 **Shashiko Oreshizoku: Co-Creator(Deceased)**

 **Naruko Uzumaki: Co-Creator, Host/Warden**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Yin(Primary)**

 **Yang(Secondary)**

 **Sage/Nature Chakra(Secondary)**

 **Kurai Hafu is the literal manifestation of two combined souls' negative emotions. He inherits features, personality, and emotions from his creators. While being a manifestation, Kurai is essentially another soul, and therefore alive like Kurama. He is very temperamental and often crude or prideful, but will put all that aside if revenge, Sashiko, or both items of interest are a part of the equation. Kurai can change his hair color, white or red, at whim thought it is not known if he can choose more than those colors. He hates Orochimaru due to the man's actions and threats, and would like nothing more than to torture him and kill him, but is unable to due to the cursed seal having adapted to being able to use his own corrosive chakra on himself. He uses a 'dark' version of blood style known as Black Blood Style, and the reasons for its name and change will be explained later.**


	24. XXIV- Twisting Emotions

**How's it going, hope you're having a good day. If not, well I hope this makes it better. It's not fluffy, unless you count Angst bonding, but it still stems the start of KakaNaru! With this story nearly ending I feel the need to write everything** _ **but**_ **TLJ, which Is unfair of my brain. I have been drawing a lot of TLJ related characters though, and I hope to get some of them posted. They are simple as I'm not an amazing artist, but I with say I'm a decent one. It helps to have practice though, so I only get better. Temashi, Sashiko, and possibly TLJ Naruto will be up on my Deviant Art sometime soon, which I'll leave the details to in my Profile since I may not remember how to access my old one and will need a new one, especially with my pen name having changed to SCLD0702, instead of Bunny. Anyways, please enjoyed reading!**

 **Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto, only Kurai Hafu, Sashiko, Blood Style, Seals Style, and this Plot.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Edo Tensei, the reason for this even happening really.**

" _ **Again."**_

The harsh command rang through the clearing, dark red eyes glaring down upon a red headed girl shaking near the ground. Blood splattered the blood underneath her, spiraling around her in a distinct show of no control.

" _I can't_."

The broken whisper came from the huddle panting against the ground, her normally bright blue eyes glazed over as she stared into the soaked earth. Her stomach was twisted into knots and her heart hammered against her chest while she tried to rein in her emotions. Nothing seemed to help the panic attack however, and Kurai's orders pushed it further.

" _ **You can and you will, otherwise you won't be able to fight Orochimaru."**_

Kurai hissed at her, his eyes showing his distaste along with his tone. He stood behind her, having taken control of one of her clones whilst she tried repeatedly to use Blood Style. They had been at it ever since she had returned to Konoha, two Sannin, an Oreshizoku, and Team Seven in toe.

Tsunade had managed to heal Kakashi, whom Naruko hadn't left for the rest of that night, missing Tsunade's parade and Hiruzen giving her the hat. After that Naruko took to the Namikaze Training grounds, worrying her father when she wouldn't let him see exactly what she was doing. Minato didn't get much say in the matter however, as he had been sent out on another mission, but only after Tsunade had been told of the events of Naruko's graduation night.

Muttering as tears started to leak from Naru's eyes, Kurai stalked forward and hauled the girl over his shoulder, ignoring her whimper with a barely concealed flinch. He looked toward the lit up estate, snapping to deactivate the barrier surrounding their training area while he dropped his control slightly to gain Naru's features instead of his own.

I~~Day After Tsunade Became Gondaime~~I

Hiruzen truthfully didn't want to go through this again, but he had no choice with Tsunade being made Hokage. His eyes drifted over the many ninja in the room, dropping onto one stone faced Kunoichi.

Naruko had her coat pulled tightly around her, darkening circles under her eyes from her stressful training while her hair was left down, drifting over her opaque eyes.

The girl wasn't looking good, and it was obvious that Minato was worried for his daughter. He was currently blaming Jiraya and Hiruzen for the ordeal, as well as ' _That Snake Bastard'_ as he so _elegantly_ put it. Ichihara's return had helped calm him some, while also putting the Civilian Council into an uproar while the Advisers were ecstatic. The Civilians were eagerly accepting the new Uchiha, and the Advisers were trying to get him to take the title of Clan Head. Ichihara didn't respond kindly to either of these situations however, blowing off the Councilmen eager to suck up, while telling the Clan Heads up front, 'I won't dirty my hands on the bastards who let my little sister _s_ suffer'.

Needless to say, Hiruzen wished he could have taken a picture of Danzo's face when Ichihara confronted him about the fact.

There was also the wrath of Tsunade, which led to many of the Civilians on the council being removed for unlawful and unorderly conduct.

And now, Tsunade was going to learn of one of Konoha's darker secrets, alongside her God Son Ichihara.

"Okay Sensei, what exactly is this about? And why is the Gaki here with those special Anbu of yours?"

Ichihara sighed from behind the woman, having taken the position of her secretary alongside Shizune because the woman had demanded it.

Hiruzen muttered softly under his breath, and turned toward the Anbu standing at the back of the room in front of his student Jiraya, who had done the honors of setting up sound seals and barriers for his room, and Kakashi whom was there for his student and Sensei.

"Treasury, please remove your masks."

The Anbu didn't hesitate, Tsunade and Ichihara narrowing their eyes as each one of the members dropped their henges. The first was Tobirama, followed by those to his left in order, Madara, Hashirama, Kame, and Minato.

Each face garnered gasps and widening eyes, and by the end of it Ichihara and Tsunade were gaping at the revived Kage and Uchiha. Madara only glanced to the side, toward his student while Tsunade tried to form words.

Minato raised his hand, waving slightly at the woman and Ichihara, a sad smile on his lips. "H-Hi?"

Hiruzen wasn't surprised when Tsunade's fist nearly sent Minato into the wall, if it weren't for Naruko appearing in front of her father, grabbing a hold of the offending weapon as she grunted softly. Her arm shook as the chakra she sent to it was contacted with Tsunade's, blue eyes meeting hazel. "He's an idiot Tsunade-San…but even so I really don't like people attacking my father."

Tsunade's hardened glare softened and her fist relaxed while she reached forward to ruffled Naru's hair, sighing heavily.

"I should have expected this type of shit…Still…I-I can't…"

Tsunade's breath caught in her throat as she looked toward her Grand Uncle and Grandfather, whom both managed smiles. Madara and Kame both stood to the side, Kame's spiky brown hair falling over his grey eyes. Kakashi walked over to them, his book tucked away in his weapon's pouch as he nodded toward Kame. The man blinked and gave a tilt of his lips along with a soft greeting. "Taicho."

Kakashi waved it away, looking over to where Tsunade was now hugging a shocked but happy Hashirama, and a very uncomfortable Tobirama. Naruko watched the exchange from her father's side, the man ruffling her hair even more, smiling down at her with his cracked blue eyes closed. Ichihara was standing to Minato's other side, receiving the same treatment as Naru as he laughed lightly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears of joy.

"Sarutobi…That boy, you say he is an Uchiha?"

Hiruzen wasn't startled much by Madara's inquisition, Kakashi and Kame both turning their gazes toward the thoughtful traitor while Sarutobi replied.

"Yes. He is Sashiko's eldest brother, and the only living child of Michiko and Iraku."

Madara hummed slightly in reply, the mentioned adult glancing over to them, his bright blue eyes catching Madara off guard while his face caused a momentary memory lapse. Madara's little brother Izuna appeared before his vision for only a moment, but it was enough to tug at his heart while he turned his gaze toward the Sandaime.

"Where do his blue eyes come from?"

Hiruzen was glad to answer, a soft wistful look taking over his features as he answered. "His father. A rather strange occurrence really."

Madara's gaze only darkened as he nodded in acceptance, calling out toward his fellow members. "Minato, Hashirama. We need to head out if we want to catch the lead on Tamashi while it's fresh."

The two members instantly became serious, Minato taking the time to kiss Naruko's forehead before pulling Ichihara into a hug. Hashirama nodded to Tsunade, whom pulled away while turning her sharp gaze toward Madara. The man wasn't fazed, his hand pulling his mask over his face while Minato and Hashirama walked beside him. They nodded sharply toward Sarutobi, and vanished once Kin Kitsune and Seido Tora had donned their masks.

Naruko was left to gather the remaining members, bidding Sarutobi farewell as Tobirama _Hirashined_ them to the Namikaze Estate.

Once there Naruko set to work handing out rooms to the four new people living in the compound, Kakashi trailing behind her as Tsunade and Shizune turned in to their rooms.

Ichihara and Kame were led past the main hall and around the inner garden, each person marveling at the rock pond and natural life Hashirama and Minato had created. "Here you go Ichihara. Mina-Tou-San chose this one, he said you'd like it."

Ihara chuckled tiredly, leaning down to pull Naru into an unexpected hug as he glanced toward the direct view of the garden and the stars. "Yes, I do."

The Oreshizoku nodded to the other men, entering his room whilst Naru turned to the last guest, Kame.

Emerarudo Kame was a strange man, but he had a deep history between with the Oreshizoku's, Kakashi, and Naruko's parents. His real name was Tenzo, but his village ID was Yamato. His last name was unlisted currently, but soon enough he would bear the name of Sashiko's clan alongside Ichihara, and possibly Tsunade and Shizune.

For now however, Naruko stuck to his name. "Tenzou-San, your room is across from Ichihara-San's."

The man nodded, offering a soft smile to both the light haired ninjas, before he too turned in to his room. This left the Hatake and Uzumaki under the night sky, neither really eager to go to bed despite being visibly exhausted.

"I'm going to make some tea…you want to join me Kakashi-Sensei?"

Naruko spoke softly, unsure of her own words as she started toward the kitchen.

Kakashi only smiled under his mask and spoke a confirmation as he followed her. "Of course."

I~~Present Night-Day Later~~I

Kurai slipped Naruko into her room, sighing gently as he set the slumbering girl down on her bed. He paused as he saw the tears on her cheeks, visibly wincing at the sight. He couldn't help his reaction to the red head's pain, and his finger swiped the tears from her cheeks without him really noticing. He pulled away and settled himself beside her bed, turning to look at the door. Annoyance sparked under his henge and his inwardly cursed as his eyes met a lone grey orb.

The dammed Copy Nin was back, leaning against the wall of Naruko's room entrance. His room was right next to Minato's which was joined to Naruko's new room now, so the man could easily get to her whenever he needed to. This meant that Kurai had to deal with him quite a bit.

"Is she alright?"

Kurai turned away, involuntarily turning his gaze toward his co-creator.

" _ **She'll live."**_

Kakashi glared at him, his hands clenching in anger.

"I never asked that."

Kurai didn't reply for a moment, before he scoffed and sneered at the girl's body.

" _ **She still can't do a simple clone. She panics just as she feels the chakra, and ends up expelling it as though it is poison."**_

Kakashi stalked forward after Kurai finished, standing in front of the possessed clone.

"Let me try…Let me _help_."

Kurai bit down on his lip and dropped his gaze, already knowing his answer.

" _ **Not yet. I will give it one more go and if not, you can have it your way."**_

I~~~~I

When Naruko woke up the next morning she was alone in her room. She wasted no time at all taking a shower and changing, rushing toward the kitchen in her training attire. She stopped at the fridge, and pulled out some butter before grabbing some bread. She used both items and sprinkled cinnamon on top before putting away the rest, setting her toast in the toaster oven.

Her impatient eyes were narrowed on the lit up device, her teeth chewing on her bottom lip.

She nearly jumped when a voice whispered by her ear.

" _ **Are you actually ready for today?"**_

Turning around sharply, Naruko's fist short forward, only to be caught in the palm of a smirking Kurai. Her eyes narrowed and she inwardly felt despair, since the boy smirking always meant he found a new method of torture.

Naru snatched her food from the device as it popped up, Kurai leaning back with his smirk still present.

" _ **No blood style today."**_

A breath left her lips before she could even tell it was being held, Naru's messy wet locks falling over her relieved blue eyes.

" _ **We're working on your other bloodline instead."**_

Naruko nodded, biting into her mediocre breakfast while she turned to go get her sandals on. Kurai trailed behind, looking around the building. His smirk faded slightly to a more stoic expression, his eyes hardening as they walked outside toward their secluded spot. Kurai's hands raised upward and he pulled his chakra forward as he flashed through hand signs. _**"5 Seals Style, Chakra Dome Jutsu!"**_

The chakra shot outward in five directions from his position, climbing high into the sky before the strands joined together in a curved formation above Kurai. The holes filled in, and the barrier darkened to those looking into it. Those on the inside however could see perfectly fine.

He turned toward his 'student', and he raised his hand. _**"Activate your sharingan, and come at me with the intent to kill. We won't stop until you've either disarmed me or destroyed the Clone."**_

Naruko didn't even nod, simply channeling chakra to her blue eyes to turn them into their Doujutsu form while she settled into an offensive stance. Her hands brushed her scrolls and she summoned throwing daggers to her hands before darting toward Kurai.

The male didn't move, standing in place as chakra shot into his arms. As Naruko's dagger shot toward his head, he raised an arm and reflected it with a smirk and his foot slammed into her gut.

Naruko was sent across the training field, just like the other times she had been tasked with taking him down. He smirked as she got back up and took a different approach. He could work out his anger today, and at the end of it all he'd try to get her to use the damned bloodline correctly.

I~~~~I

Tsunade groaned as she glared down at the piling stacks of paperwork, Ihara sighing gently from behind her as he stepped forward and took half the stack. She glanced up at him as he moved to the couch, leafing through the papers in a non-chalant manner while Shizune stood at Tsunade's other side.

"I can't believe Mother wanted this job…I mean seriously how much paperwork do you need for an Academy Student throwing a kunai into a window…?"

Tsunade nodded in agreement, glaring at the paperwork before her in annoyance. "Tch. Even when you help out it all just…takes forever."

Ichihara hummed alongside Shizune as the raven haired woman joined him in sorting through the papers, setting them in ranking importance from A to D.

"Say Ichihara-San…What are you going to do about the Council hounding you over your Uchiha blood?"

Ihara looked up from his pile of D-Rank requests and forms, tilting his head to the side as he frowned. "Honestly I'm going to ignore them. I'm not even reinstated as a shinobi yet, and I really don't want to deal with the adviser's bull shit. I'd much rather just help out Tsuna-San and you with all this paperwork and what not. I wouldn't mind teaching either…but I doubt they'd let me get such a position since I'm 'invaluable' on the battle field. I can barely even control my Sharingan to be honest…"

The contemplative Oreshizoku gently set his stack on the ever growing pile of sorted papers, looking down at his worn hands with solemn eyes.

"My father used Transfer Overlay to keep me alive…transferring everything he had, including his own _life force_ into me. This isn't without consequence however…His added genes basically made me a full blooded Uchiha, and it forced my sharingan to activate its Mangekyo state. Because it wasn't achieved naturally however it messed up my bloodline…his signature had over written my own chakra signature and it left me unable to control my bloodline. I have better control over my mother's than my father's, despite not knowing any blood style techniques beyond the dangerous ones I was warned against using, and the Petal Jutsu."

Tsunade blinked at her Godson, her eyes deepening with concern as she saw the sadness growing in his face, a wistful smile present on his lips as he continued.

"Any of my children would more than likely have trouble with their bloodlines as well, if they even are able to gain them. Naruko-Chan is more likely to have children with the sharingan than I am at this point."

Ichihara almost jumped when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, his blue eyes turning to face a smiling Shizune. She spoke in a light tone, one that spoke of understanding. "Don't stress about it so much Ihara-San. Lady Tsunade already made it clear she wouldn't allow the CRA to be put into effect. Naruko-Chan will be okay as well."

Ichihara chuckled gently, his face filling with a smile that made Shizune's cheeks redden while he turned back to his paperwork. "Thank you, Shizune-San."

I~~~~I

" _ **Is that really all you have, Naruko?**_ "

Kurai let out the words in a bored drawl as he gripped Naruko's wrist, twisting it on itself while she cried out in pain. His other hand darted forward as his leg swiped at her feet and tripped her. The hand gripped her next, and the red head was hauled into the air in a choke hold.

" _ **You hesitate. You are scared to use the power you have, scared to fight and scared of hurting anyone else.**_ **Get over it!** _ **You know better than anyone that this life isn't easy. Stop hiding behind a wall of insecurities like a stupid Child Naruko!"**_

The Uzumaki glared down at Kurai, rage lighting in her eyes at his words. She had been struggling all morning to land a single hit on Kurai, and now he was trying to lecture her. Her blood boiled as she raised her fingers to her lips, blowing out wind chakra. "Wind Style, Gale Blow!"

The pressurized air slammed into a shocked Kurai, before the male smirked and his eyes lit with a dark glee. He raised his own fingers, only he used something different. "Fire Style, Flame Lance!"

The fire that left his lips rushed forward, slicing through the air as the cyclindrical shape enlarged in size. Naruko barely dodged to the side, glaring darkly at the boy whilst summoning several clones.

"13 Seals Style, Hell's Gate!"

"Wind Style, Wind Cyclone!"

"5 Seals Style, Encirclement!"

The pillar of fire sprouted around the group of four Uzumaki's, whilst the wind forced the fire toward Kurai while the last Jutsu summoned spiraling kanji that circled Kurai and put of a barrier aided by extra chakra that Naruko put in. Kurai stood still as the much larger inferno soared towards him, a smirk still present on his lips as he met Naru's eyes.

Black blood spiraled around his feet, and Naruko stumbled back as her grip on the Encirclement faltered.

The blood chakra surrounded Kurai, several stands lashing out to form more layers of shields as the inferno came closer. Within moments the area was burning hot, the large mass of fire having slammed directly into the barrier Kurai had set up.

Naruko didn't move from her spot, her breathing starting to pick up as her jutsu was suddenly sucked toward the middle, right into a seal that she herself had aided in designing.

"Y-You…"

Naru couldn't really speak, and she gasped in shock when she felt a foot slam into her back, sending her face first into the dirt. Kurai's shoes dug painfully into her spine, making her see spots when he pressed quite hard between her shoulder blades. A whimper of pain left her lips, and the boy scoffed at her.

" _ **Idiot Kitsune. You'd be dead now if we didn't have a truce. Tch, this is becoming a fucking relay, that same things happening over and over despite me constantly showing you they won't work. I can read you Kitsune, and like your other enemies I know your weaknesses. You are too easily affected by emotions, led through either revenge or love, hatred or guilt. You think Orochimaru is going to let you go Kyuubi mode next time? You think he's going to allow you to build up my chakra without attacking first? Wrong. He'll tuant you and then he'll use your fears against you and make everything you do worthless. He'll take Ichihara and he'll do whatever the hell he fancies while forcing you to watch, simply to get a rise out of you. And when that other Uzumaki returns, when he decides to attack? You think he'll wait around or do you think he'll use his knowledge to turn you into a shell of a person with words alone?"**_

Naruko stiffened at the mention of Temashi, her eyes darkening as she growled at Kurai. "The bastard hates Orochimaru just as much as I do!"

Kurai pushed further, making the girl's eyes widen as she gasped in pain.

" _ **He hates Konoha, your father, and all those other villages that aided in the destruction of what he holds dear just as much. He may not fight you, but he will fight those you ally yourself with. He may not try to end your existence, but he sure as hell can end Minato's. Nothing is for certain, don't think you can read people just because you taught yourself. Don't get cocky and don't forget that things change, and one moment you can be the fucking queen of the world, and the next you are lying in the trash, a kunai in your gut as you think 'what ifs'."**_

Kurai pulled away from the girl, watching as she took in air greedily, turning over on her back as her eyes met his own. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning down to meet her at eye-level as he continued.

" _ **I hate you. I loather every second you exist and every emotion you experience. I wish Sashiko was in your place any time I gaze at you, and I feel sorry for Ichihara for having to deal with your indecisiveness. Choose your side, stick to it, and protect it. I will only help you when you realize what you really want to do. Right now, you're as bad as the Uchiha."**_

Naruko froze at the last words, her eyes glazing over as a sign of he actually realizing something.

Kurai chuckled darkly and straightened, turning to walk away and leave the girl to deal with it herself. He was unprepared for the punch sent to his face, or the dispelling of his taken body.

Naruko's head snapped up, and her eyes caught the gaze of a lone grey orb, before Kakashi had her hand in his grasp and was dragging her to her feet, past the fallen barrier and the Namikaze Estate.

"K-Kakashi?"

The Copy Nin didn't answer, and continued pulling the shaking girl behind him.

I~~~~I

A light hum left Temashi's mouth as he watched his son work with Sasori, sparing with his puppets while trying not to get nicked by too many weapons. The boy wasn't faring too well however, even if it was to be expected with his current rank. Another Kunai cut into Ken's knee, and the boy grit his teeth to keep from crying out as he collapsed onto his good knee, the paralysis poison working against his body as he struggled to continue fighting.

Behind Temashi an orange masked man commented, startling the Uzumaki slightly.

"Sasori seems to have taken him as an apprentice."

Temashi nodded, glancing toward the man with the orange swirl mask in wariness. The man only chuckled at the hostile nature of his subordinate, stepping forward into the light as he watched Sasori knock out Ken, the injured boy slumping before the stoic red head.

"Did you need anything, Tobi-San?"

Tobi paused as he looked at the display, before turning to address the curious Temashi.

"I want to know about the incident in Konoha, I want you to tell me about the new Anbu that Konoha has under its control…The Treasury I believe."

Temashi stiffened and his amethyst orbs darkened considerable as he turned completely to face the man before him, warry of the edges of chakra the man spread about the room, since he knew just what the man could do to him.

"What did you want to know…?"

Temashi barely got the words out of his mouth, hatred and dislike clear on his face as Tobi glanced back at his son.

"Their identities…And don't hold out. I know that Ken looked at them with his Temashime (Soul Eyes), Zetsu told me that much…as well as the identity of Kin Kitsune."

Inwardly, Temashi cursed both the chakra manifestation Zetsu, and the Uchiha manipulating the Akatsuki. Outwardly, he revealed everything he knew, making sure to keep Tobi's eyes away from his son.

I~~~~I

When Kakashi finally stopped, he was at the memorial stone. Naruko tried to wrap her head around the sudden interference from her Sensei.

"K-Kakashi, what are you doing?"

Naruko whispered toward the man, trying not to collapse on her feet as the hand holding her own clutched onto her fingers tighter.

The man didn't answer, didn't turn to face the girl as he moved his hand with her own, dragging her to his side as he pressed both their hands into the memorial stone, right under a single name scrawled on the top, brushing her fingers over it in a silent gesture to read.

Ignoring the thrum that beat in her ears, Naru turned her head to looked at the name above her fingers, her blue eyes widening in shock as he mouth opened slightly.

It was a name she hadn't exactly seen before, a name that she really didn't know much about. The name, in simple print etched against the obsidian monument, was Hatake Sakumo.

"When I was a child Akihane, the Third Shinobi War was just on the Horizon. In an effort to gain information about the gathering forces in Suna, my father, Hatake Sakumo, was sent out with a formal chunnin squad in order to capture a scroll at an out-of-the-way outpost along the Sand and Fire borders.

Something was wrong with the information however, which lead to complications with the mission given. Ignoring the rules so clearly spelt out in our occupation, my father abandoned his mission, and saved his comrades."

Naru couldn't speak as Kakashi continue to speak.

"With this choice came the trigger to starting the next Shinobi War. By abandoning his mission, my father had unintentionally given Suna a reason to strike, dragging in Iwa later on. This knowledge was not lost on the villagers, whom took it upon themselves to spitefully retaliate against a man who saved his comrade's lives. Even those he saved slowly turned against him…and when he needed me most I also turned my back on him."

Kakashi took a deep breath as he turned her head toward his student, catching her eyes with his lone grey orb that conveyed sadness and guilt.

"I came home later that day to find him sprawled out on our living room floor, his blade forcefully driven through his heart. Beside him was a simple note…I'm Sorry."

Naruko flinched backward, her breath catching in her throat as she thought of a smiling cyan haired girl setting down a single chest into the flooring of her old apartment.

"That was only the start of it Akihane. When I became a Jonin later on, under the tutelage of your father, I lead my best friend Uchiha Obito to his death, all because I wouldn't sacrifice the mission for my comrades. In return for my selfishness…He gave me his own eye."

Kakashi's hand drifted upward, and he brushed over the covered sharingan that Naru hadn't realized meant so much to him. The Jonin continued despite this however, leaving their entwined hands against his face.

"He made me sweat to protect the comrade I had formerly tried to leave behind, but in the end I couldn't keep the promise Akihane. In the end, when we stood surrounded by Jonin of the Mist, Rin turned toward me and stepped in front of my charged Chidori, forcing it through her chest."

Kakashi breathed out the words finally, staring into Naruko's shocked eyes, taking note of the dawning understanding, and the glossiness that showcased that the Jinchuuriki was being swarmed by her memories.

 _Blood slipping down her arm, a terrified call leaving her formerly snarling lips. "S-Sashiko…?"_

 _A soft smile that never truly left her lips, the sad gaze of a dying girl that cared too much for those around her and not enough about herself. "F-Forgive me, Naruko…My little Sister."_

 _A letter left in the space long since abandoned, a revelation of family that ought to have come sooner._

 _The loss of a forever loving mother, bright haired and vibrant-eyed._

 _Simple words whispered in her ear as she broke down under the pressure of herself._

' _ **It should have been you.'**_

Naruko felt large hot tears trailing down her cheeks as strong arms tugged her close, a large sigh leaving Kakashi's lips as he settled his chin in the shining red hair of the broken Jinchuuriki.

"Y-You know…Y-You've known…how it feels, this whole time…y-you…"

The girl breathed out shakily as she sunk deeper into the warm embrace. Her eyes slipped closed, more tears falling over her cheeks as they settled on the chest of the silver haired man leaning back against the memorial stone. "You knew how it felt…to have one of the only people left…die because of yourself."

Kakashi closed his own eye, still holding the red head's hand in his own as she whispered out the realization.

"I-I managed to get back up Akihane, you can too."

Naru shook harder, but she didn't deny anything.

I~~~~I

When Minato returned from his mission, he felt his entire world tilting toward mass destruction as he sought out his slowly degrading daughter. When he had last seen her, the girl was barely getting enough sleep and wouldn't tell him what she was training with. Her eyes held a darker truth than before, and Minato feared what depths his daughter my sink back into in order to get back at the man who threatened her family.

It took all his training for the former Kage not to dart from Tsunade's office until he was dismissed, but when he was he activated his Hirashin to get to the Namikaze Estate quicker. Flashing into existence in a gold blur, Minato's head shot up as he searched for his daughter's familiar blue chakra, looking toward the training grounds when he found it.

The father didn't take note of the other clashing signatures, and instead he took off toward his daughter as he went through as many scenarios as he could, wondering what state his daughter was in.

"66 Seals Style, Scythe Death Division Enhancement!"

A large plume of dust shot upward at the sound of a very male voice, one that couldn't be Naruko unless-

Minato quickened his pace, barely turning into a blur just before he dropped down at the entrance to the secluded area of the training grounds. Blue eyes widened in shock as they assessed the seen before them.

A smirking red head with white highlights and slit pupiled red eyes stood in of a calm meditating red head, a Silver haired male standing behind the girl as both showered her with jutsu. None of the techniques struck home, lashing blood red petals spiraling around the concentrating girl whom was sweating slightly under the pressure the techniques inflicted.

The girl's eyes snapped open just as the two males ceased attacking for a moment, violet orbs with slit pupils narrowing as she spun her hands into familiar seals.

"Blood Style…"

A slight stumble, a light flinch at the name, before confidence shot forward once more.

"12 Petalled Lotus Jutsu!"

The blood chakra forming a barrier around Naruko split into 12 sections with razor thin edges coated in black poison.

"Wind Style, Needle Shot!"

The girl fired tiny compressed bullets of air at the petals, and thin needles of blood chakra surged outward in all directions at the two nin attacking her.

The two males each brought up their own barriers, Kakashi setting up a mud wall while Kurai summoned wind chakra upward in a large compressed wall.

"Good Kitsune, but still not enough!"

Naruko flinched and the petals dropped as she stumbled, falling forward to her knees. Kakashi rushed toward her to stop her fall, but Minato had finally snapped enough to use the seal left on her necklace. He appeared under her, pulling her form tightly into his arms as she yelped in surprise, the sound dulled from exhaustion.

"T-Tou-San?"

With a shaky voice Naru addressed him, looking up at Minato in shock as he smiled at her with teary eyes.

"Akihane…My little Aki you're okay…Oh Kami don't worry me like that ever again… _Don't ever do that again!_ "

From the sidelines, Kakashi smiled gently and walked over, Kurai trailing behind with an arrogant huff.

"Stupid Kitsune…"

Kakashi smacked the manifestation over the head for that one, ignoring the darkened glare he got in favor of watching Naru get smothered by her worried father.

"Ma, Ma Sensei, she's okay."

A sharp glare in the silver haired man's direction silence him while Naruko clung onto her father's chest, the standard armor missing despite having been on Minato's person seconds prior.

Minato only pulled his daughter closed to him and rested his head on her red hair, closing his eyes as he finally relaxed.

Naruko was okay, and whatever was bothering her had been taken care of in the 5 days that Minato had been absent.

"T-Thank you…whatever you did Kakashi, thank you."

Kakashi nodded, looking fondly at the passed out Uzumaki that had changed him enough during his time as her Sensei.

"You hardly need to…Both of you have done enough." ' _I will always be indebted to you both for helping me_.'

 **Whelp, sad, a total filler, but a needed filler. I couldn't have Naru suddenly springing back like nothing happened, couldn't I? Well next up is The Uchihas' Betrayal Arc which I say is two chapters but we all know I have no real control over what I write. I mean, this was supposed to end 2k words ago at 3k, but oh well. This sets to stage for Kakashi becoming even more prominent in Naru's life, especially since he is actually one of the most relatable characters to her other than the Jinchuuriki. I mean really, Sacrificial Family Member-Check, Foolish(In their opinion)But Lovable Uchiha Friends Who Gift Sharingan Like Candy-Check, Similar Teams-Check, Emotional Capacities of Flies-Check. Oh, both are fair headed, and both are considered genius'. I would go on but I doubt you'd read any more rambles, so I'll save it for something else such as a One-Shot. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!**


	25. XXV Curse Uchiha

**Well hey, long time no see I suppose. This chapter took a little bit, and if it also seems on the darker side it wasn't on purpose. The chapter turned out like this because my personal life, well even if it wasn't a horrible shock to my life in general it still struck a cord in me and writing is my way of venting along with painting. Just two days ago one of my friend's parents was found murdered in her home…that's on my side of town.**

 **I won't say anything else because it's not my place but I just want you to know why this chapter may not be up to par or why I may not write much more over this month, since it's not something to just brush off. No need for condolence or anything, that's not the reason for saying it after all. I just hope you enjoy reading this, and if not sorry about that. As with always I will go back over this at a later date and try to lighten it up if it's too bad.**

 **Warnings-Sasuke OC bonding! Beware of the jealous and motherly Uchiha!**

 **Disclaimer-I own Ichihara, not Naruto. And maybe Sasuke's mindscape, depends on the day.**

 _It was under the rising setting sun that took her in as thin lips pulled into a sneer on a pale face._

" _You say you understand Naru…But tell me how can you understand when you simply discarded your revenge just like that? This village hurt you, and you still protect it…It took away your family and you still live in it."_

 _The words, spoken before in a much harsher tone, didn't have nearly as much venom before, even if they still made Naruko close her eyes and ask for strength._

" _That's all this is about, isn't it? Itachi and your revenge…how selfish of you Sasuke."_

 _The raven stepped forward as he clenched his fists together, bringing one up while a shout left his lips._

" _Shut the hell up Uzumaki! You have no idea…You have no idea how it feels to walk behind someone with more power than you, someone who doesn't use it when they can! You have no idea how I feel when I watch you waste what you were gifted instead of avenging your sister like I am avenging my family. Itachi ruined everything…"_

 _Sasuke's glare met Naru's glassy blue orbs, and he stepped back in shock as Naru breathed out calmly, killing intent wafting off her body._

" _Such a fool…Sasuke."_

 _Blue turned crimson, three black tomo spinning rapidly as Naruko raised her hands in front of her chest._

I~~~~I

One could say that Naruko was simply ignoring the truth when she looked at the picture before her, but honestly, Naru really didn't want to know what the hell had been going on before she had arrived.

"Kashi-Sensei…Why the hell is Sasuke tied to Sakura's back?"

Naru raised a delicate red brow at the sight of her teammates bound together, Sakura trying to contain her squeals while Sasuke looked ready to puke.

Kakashi hummed from behind his book, standing to Naru's right with his slightly slumped posture. His lone gray eye formed an 'n' shape as he commented on the sight before them both.

"Mah, Aki-Chan, can't you see? Sasuke here was spying on Sakura and accidently got caught in a trap she was trying to perfect, and when Sakura tried to get him out she ended up tripping into him, and then they proceeded to roll down that hill there."

Kakashi pointed ahead, and Naruko sighed when she saw the stream running by. _'That would be the reason they are also wet…'_

"Alright…stay still and I'll cut you lose."

Sasuke grunted and glanced toward the red head as she kneeled between the two, removing a three pronged kunai from her scroll before working on cutting through the wire.

Both Genin blinked at the kunai, obviously wondering where Naru had gotten it from. Kakashi took note of it, and withheld a sigh at Minato's protectiveness. It was obvious that despite already having a seal on her necklace that alerted Minato to rises in her heartrate and blood pressure, he also gave Naru one of his Kunai to use. It wasn't very subtle, especially since all the clan heads knew exactly what Minato's kunai looked like, and would ask questions.

"Tch, Uzumaki what's with the weird Kunai?"

Naruko blinked as she finished snipping the wires binding her comrades, rising and stepping back as she raised the weapon in question.

"Oh, the Thunder God Kunai? It was a gift from Jiji, my dad used to use them. He got me a set for my birthday, but since I'm going to be made a Chunin he decided to change it to a graduation present."

Sasuke paused at that, turning his head to the side as he grunted in annoyance. Naruko paused and then her eyes widened slightly and she sighed, tapping the kunai to her scroll to seal it while Sakura glanced at Sasuke with a frown, rubbing her red wrists.

"Sorry Sasuke-San…"

Sakura whispered in a dejected manner, her green eyes filling with worry as Sasuke stiffened. The Uchiha then turned and promptly stalked away, his team watching for a moment before following.

It was already old news about Tsunade's chosen Chunin, and it served to anger Sasuke since he had been defeated before the Third Exams even started. It didn't help his ego that he had been defeated by a spy, even if said spy was older than him by one year.

The newest Chunin selected were Sakura, Naruko, Shino, and Shikamaru from Konoha, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro from Suna. Sakura was selected for her use of seals and forethought on her opponents style, Naruko and Shikamaru for their improvising and abilities to plan, and Shino for his planning and expert display of skill with his family jutsu.

The Council mostly supported this, even if it was grudgingly so in Naruko's position, but none of that changed to fact Sasuke was the only Team Seven Rookie not to pass.

"Sasuke, we'll be training tomorrow if you're up for it."

The invitation made the angered boy stop in his tracks, turning his head toward the girl that had spoken. His eyes darkened before a slightly smirk formed on his lips.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Naru nodded, before taking Sakura's arm. "Alright, we have to head to Tsunade's office. See you later Kakashi, Sasuke."

Sakura nodded toward her Sensei and teammate, offering a smile to the boy she still liked before Naru vanished in a surge of red chakra.

Kakashi's book snapped shut after they were gone, and he turned his lone eye in the direction of Sasuke. "Let's work on that Jutsu I showed you last time…Sasuke."

The Uchiha looked mildly surprised at the offer to train, before his gaze hardened and he joined Kakashi.

I~~~~I

"Congrats, Uzumaki Naruko, Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino, and Naru Shikamaru. You are the first Chunin of your class. As your teams are still in service you will be officially members of them until the rest of them become Chunin, however you also will take other missions with other Chunin and Jonin. Now is also the time when you choose your specialization and search for other teachers who will apprentice you. If you need help just come to me, but otherwise you are free to go."

Naruko paused as she looked at the vest she had been gifted, Sakura looking at her own while Shikamaru nodded and walked out with Shino, leaving behind the females. Naru looked toward Tsunade, whom raised a brow at her before the girl glanced toward Sakura, whom was fidgeting slightly.

"Tsunade-Hime, Sakura and I wanted to ask you something."

Tsunade nodded at them to go on, the advisers standing behind her eyeing the girls critically.

"Tsunade-Sama, I would formally like to request to be you apprentice."

Sakura spoke up, bowing from her spot beside Naruko. Naru also bowed and repeated her teammate's words, surprising the Godaime. The advisors froze at the implications of this, opening their mouths to comment, only to be overridden by a deep chuckle leaving Tsunade's lips.

"Well, I can't turn down such respectful and promising students, can I? I warn you though, I won't go easy on you."

The two girls straightened, Naruko meeting Tsunade's smirk with one of her own.

"You forget Sakura and I were also Mitarashi-Sensei's students."

At the mention of the Hebi Mistress, Sakura shivered and inched closer to her teammate, Tsunade smiling.

"I suppose that's true. Very well, report here next week and I'll get you started. For now though I have a mission for Team Seven. It's just a quick currier mission to a nearby outpost, I think you can handle it."

Nodding toward the Hokage, Naruko took a step forward to take a scroll Tsunade held out to her, pausing once to meet the woman's eye, before she set the scroll on her belt and handed Tsunade a different one. Upon grasping it, Tsunade gave Naruko another look, to which the girl smiled gently at, her lips twitching slightly in an effort to not smirk. "Since Ichihara-Ni-San can't cook without killing everything around him, I figured you'd want some homemade food."

Tsunade blinked and sighed as she shook her head, placing the scroll to the side as Naru turned and rushed toward the door where her teammate stood, Sakura giggling at Naru's slightly flushed face before the door closed behind them.

"Not a word from either of you two…Or I'll have your heads."

I~~~~I

Upon arriving back at Training Ground Three, Sakura and Naruko paused to observe Sasuke using a lightning technique that let out chirping noises as he rushed forward to slam it into a rock face. Kakashi stood behind him, reading his book while observing his student's progress with the Chidori.

"Great work Sasuke. You can still only do two at a time, however you just have to work on your reserves and control in order to fine tune it. You should have mastery over it by the next Exam."

Sasuke bristled slightly as he panted from his spot in front of the rock, glaring at it as he stood.

"I need to have it mastered sooner than that…"

Kakashi sighed at his student's impatience, glancing toward the two returning females. Sasuke also turned his head, and upon meeting Naruko's Azure gaze, stiffened visibly.

The Uchiha's fists clenched, and he let a smirk form on his lips as he called to the girl.

"Hey Naruko, you mind having a quick spar?"

Naru blinked at her teammate, before she shrugged and started forward. She wasn't wearing her coat anymore, instead she had sealed it and her new vest inside her scrolls, Sakura having done the same. She spoke up as she walked over, Sakura sighing while she joined Kakashi on the sidelines.

"We have a bit of time before we have to go our new mission, so why not?"

Naruko raised her hands to her face as she neared the center of the field, releasing the weight seals on herself before settling into her own stance.

Sasuke took to his own stance, panting gently while Naru waited for him to attack. Five seconds barely passed before the raven shot forward, aiming a roundhouse kick for Naruko's head. The girl ducked, her eyes dilating while her face turned expressionless. She shifted on her feet, bringing a swift palm upward, right into Sasuke's gut. The Uchiha barely managed to move to the side enough so it grazed him, before he twisted and flipped backward with the excess momentum.

Ignoring the pain in his gut, Sasuke raised his hands to his face and flashed through hand signs.

Upon seeing the familiar gestures, Naruko shot through her own set of hand signs.

"Fire Style, Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

Dust rose with the flames, Kakashi and Sakura stilling as the large inferno engulfed Naruko's form.

Silence descended, Sasuke looking into his Jutsu as he channeled chakra into his eyes to activate his sharingan.

He froze upon activation however, stunned as a blinding red mass build up in the flames, before the inferno was pushed outward, dissipated by the alternately flowing wind. Standing in the middle of the spiraling 6 petals was Naruko, her own sharingan activated as she flashed through more hand signs, slamming her palm into the ground.

"This is from Ichihara…Sasuke!"

Seals spread out from her spot, and with a flick of her other hand, the petals drew toward her body and swiped tags from an opened pouch on her left hip, the petals tossing them to the ground around her at six equal points.

"Combination Jutsu, Explosive Shockwave!"

Dirt shot upward, Sasuke's body falling forward as the sound of thunder broke over the seal's surface. Lightning was summoned from three of the tags, the other three modified fire tags that mixed with the lightning, causing a burst of sharp needle like waves to shoot out and capture Sasuke's body in a numbing pulse.

The Uchiha gripped the ground as his ears rang, the explosion dying down while his body shook from the hundreds of electric needles that had stabbed into his body.

Naruko panted gently as she walked toward Sasuke, Kakashi and Sakura rushing over as well.

"Shit, did I overdue it? Are you alright Sasu-"

A snarl cut Naruko off midsentence.

" _I'm fine!"_

The prideful Uchiha turned a heated glare in Naruko's direction, shocking her as Sakura moved her hand over Sasuke's back, green chakra glowing.

"He's okay Naruko…his nerves are just getting over the experience. Still, you should be more careful next time!"

Sakura berated the red head, snapping her from the accusing glare her teammate gave her. "Y-Yah…sorry Sasuke. I did use less chakra and seals though. Ichihara sprang right back after he got struck so I guessed…Since you both have strong Lightning Affinities and all."

Naruko raised a hand to her neck, wincing as she remembered showing Ichihara the technique. She was also mulling over the glare she got, and as such didn't notice the expression that crossed Sasuke's face after she revealed the information.

"I-Ichihara was able to handle that?"

Sasuke whispered, his eyes darkening. From above him, Naruko spoke up.

"Yah, Ichihara-Ni took the 12 tagged version pretty well. If you want I could ask him to help you out…Since he is an Uchiha."

Sasuke paused as he mulled over this information, his eyes gaining a dark determination.

"Where is he?"

Naruko frowned at the demand, narrowing her eyes with a sigh. Sakura finished her healing, taking Kakashi's hand to help her up, Sasuke rising right after.

"We have a mission you know."

Sasuke grunted, turning to walk away once more.

"You can go right? I'm going to find Ichihara."

The two girls watched their Teammate go while Kakashi's eye narrowed on the boy who simply abandoned his duty. "Sas-"

The berated sentence was cut by a hand on his shoulder, grey meeting Azure as Naru shook her head. "It's fine Sensei. He just needs a little time to adjust. Ichihara will help him out, you know that."

Kakashi bit his tongue, glancing back at the retreating Uchiha, before he pushed the nagging voice in the back of his head further back. "Alright, let's head out then."

I~~~~I

Poking around for a little bit, Sasuke finally learned that Ichihara was off at Training Ground 44 training with Mitarashi Anko. Naturally the Uchiha headed toward the spot, only stopping once he had arrived outside the fenced area. The enclosed forest brought a slight shiver to Sasuke's shoulder, and he brushed his hand over the skin before taking a step forward.

"What do you think you're doing here kid?"

Turning sharply to catch the owner of the voice, Sasuke came face to face with glinting hazel orbs.

"Anko…You can leave Sasuke alone, I doubt he's here to harass you."

A voice called from behind the glaring woman whom huffed in front of Sasuke and turned sharply while crossing her arms over her chest, causing it to bounce while a grin twisted over her lips.

"He's one of yours Sparky?"

Ichihara walked over from an open gate off to the side, wearing his travel wear as he sighed at Anko's behavior. "Whatever Mitarashi. What'd you need Sasuke?"

Turning his attention to his fellow Uchiha, Ichihara offered a soft smile, his bright blue eyes closing while Sasuke took note of the man's relaxed posture. It was a little odd being around Ichihara again, as the man didn't treat him any differently than he treated others. He didn't look down upon Sasuke because he wasn't his brother or because of his path. The man didn't treat him like a child, but he didn't lump everything on his shoulders either, and he always greeted him with a smile.

Ichihara was an enigma, an interesting one that Sasuke found refreshing in Konoha.

"I was wondering if you could help me with training. Naruko recommended you for expanding my Lightning affinity."

Sasuke answered the man, staying straight as Ichihara blinked at him. Beside him Anko raised a brow, holding a stick of dango between her fingers as she glanced toward her training partner. "Uchiha Brat wants help on Lightning? Tch, makes sense I suppose, since your old man was the Lightning Master of Konoha."

The younger raven perked up at this, looking to Anko as the woman smirked again and finished chewing one of her dango sticks. She met his eyes and winked with her right eye, looping an arm around Ichihara's left shoulder before she drew him smack into her chest, making the man sigh heavily. "Ihara-Kun knows more Lightning Jutsu's than Kaka-Kun, and he's also a natural with them. I doubt he'd mind helping oyu out either, since he really has nothing else to do but spar with me, Kurenai, or Shizune."

Anko gained a sly smile, Sasuke eyeing her for a moment before looking back to Ichihara, just in time for the male to twisted around, somehow switching his and Anko's positions so the woman was now trapped in front of him in a choke hold, before he released her and playfully shoved her to the side.

"Don't mind Mitarashi Sasuke. She's right though, I don't mind helping you out where I can. How about we go grab a bite and you can tell me about what you have down."

Ichihara offered another smile to Sasuke, but he suddenly went stiff and a tremor shot up from his rear end. Behind him, Anko smirked. "I've been waiting to smack that all day. See you Ihara-Kun."

Waving, Anko winked once more at Sasuke before escaping from the flustered Oreshizoku, whom glared at her back as he grumbled silently.

"Fucking Mitarashi…"

"Love you too Sexy Bastard!"

I~~~~I

In the end Ichihara ended up taking Sasuke to a barbeque joint that he knew quite well, ordering a 5 meat platter before turning toward Sasuke to start the conversation as they settled into their seats.

"Alright, so how about we start with what you have so far."

Sasuke paused before speaking up, glancing around the booth they sat in.

"I don't really have much. Kakashi has only taught me the Chidori, and even that I can only perform two times."

Ichihara raised a raven brow in a questioning manner as he spoke again. "You mean he didn't even start you on Nature Manipulation? I mean it plays a big part in the Chidori so you'd think he would…Damn Kashi…"

Shaking his head in an exasperated manner, Ichihara broke apart his chopsticks and pointed one at Sasuke.

"We'll have to start you on that first. Without these basics you really don't have a chance of improving significantly. We can start tomorrow morning at Training Ground 44."

Sasuke frowned at this, despite understanding, looking at Ichihara with a twisted expression. "We can't just go to your place?"

Ichihara paused, setting his chopsticks on the table as he sighed. "We can't. I live with Naruko."

Sasuke's eyes darkened, the hand in his lap clenching as he questioned the man further.

"So you don't want me knowing about her training spot?"

Ichihara sighed gently at the anger and jealousy in Sasuke's voice, looking up toward the waitress approaching with their food. "It's not like that Sasuke. I'm a guest, I can't just go inviting whomever to Naruko's house. It doesn't make much of a difference anyways, we still can get work done."

Sasuke huffed and turned his head to the side while clenching his teeth together, the table sinking into silence while the waitress set down the meat and their drinks.

"Fine."

I~~~~I

A grunt left thinly pressed lips, dark eyes glaring at cupped hands as Sasuke breathed out from his position standing in the middle of a clearing, forcing chakra into the object hidden in his hands.

The serene picture was only disturbed by the meditating man behind the Uchiha, his blue eyes closed despite the obvious signs he was still observing Sasuke.

"It helps to imagine the crackling lines of lightning, spiraling and intertwining in a rhythmic dance accompanied by the chirping of their sparks."

Sasuke breathed out once more, sighing inwardly as he begrudgingly listened to the helpful information. Ichihara seemed to enjoy teaching him, and whenever Sasuke seemed on the verge of stopping, the man suddenly spoke up with another challenge or secret he could feed him. In all rights, Ichihara was a rather clever teacher whom knew how to keep Sasuke from simply burning the leaf cupped between his hands.

"Check."

Sasuke relaxed his muscles and cancelled the flow of chakra, pulling up his right hand that was folded over his left. He paused when he saw the leaf, before turning and showing it to Ichihara, whom had rose from his position to check out Sasuke's progress. Ichihara blinked at the leaf, before smiling at Sasuke. "Nice. You managed to crinkle the edges already. Your chakra must be a disperse type."

Sasuke paused as a sign for Ichihara to continue, the older raven humming as his hand reached and ruffled Sasuke's hair, shocking him still.

"Mine is too, meaning it's easier to use chakra that is outside my body, than inside. I can't channel it through things that easily in other words, but channeling it through open air comes to me like fire comes to an Uchiha. You must be the same way, and judging on your nature's reaction when we met I'd say it's stronger than mine even."

Ichihara grinned at the younger boy before removing his hand, turning to walk back toward his spot to discretely allow Sasuke to compose himself. "I think we can take a little break from Nature Transformation for now, you can work on your water walking for a bit, and if I like it I'll see about having a good ole' sharingan spar, neh?"

From behind the man, Sasuke forced his body to stop reacting so negatively to Ichihara's affection, instead growing anxious as he nodded sharply, rushing toward the flowing stream not too far away. "Alright."

Sasuke stopped in front of the water, staring at the surface before he channeled chakra to his feet, stepping onto the top. He continued walking forward, easily sliding over the surface as he kept track of the chakra he used, the pattern he had it flow. He could feel eyes on his back, and as the hairs started to rise on his neck he shot to the side.

A kunai flew past the spot he had stood in, followed by a black blur.

Sasuke's hand rose up to block a right hook from Ihara, before he slipped his foot across his opponents feet.

Ichihara only flipped upward in an impressive display of flexibility, tugging Sasuke along with him as he landed behind the Genin. Onyx met midnight, a sly smile breaking across two sets of lips, before fists flew forward, a sharp blow striking into Ichihara's shoulder, causing him to inch backward in his stance. Taking his chance, Sasuke raised his knee to Ichihara's gut, only for it to be grabbed by a palm, his leg pulled forward in such a way the Uchiha Heir was forced back.

Grunting, Sasuke twisted his body, curling around Ichihara as he aimed another fist toward the man's shoulder blade. The thrust was caught, leaving Sasuke in a twist, before he brought his other knee toward Ichihara's legs, prompting the two to fall together. Ichihara twisted his body around and released his younger clansmen, shifting on his foot as water flew up, his eyes turning red. Three tomo made themselves known as they spun in his eyes, his stance changing toward a looser style, his fists turning to palms while his arms angled closer to his body, adjacent to his knees.

Sasuke dashed back toward Ichihara, sliding along the surface of the water to aim low, only to twist at the last moment as Ichihara drove an axe kick at the water. More droplets rained down on the two, Sasuke's eyes turning red as well as he fired different fist combos, tossing in a knee once Ichihara redirected them. The elder only leaned back to avoid the blow, shifting into a very loose stance in order to change his lean to a sideways spin, his foot brought swiftly into Sasuke's jaw. It was only thanks to his sharingan that the Uchiha managed to bring his arms up in a swift block, even if he still was pushed backward. Ichihara continued with his momentum, forcing Sasuke to retreat as he flipped upward, freefalling for a moment right above Sasuke's head.

Ichihara landed on the surface of the water, barely causing ripples while he dashed toward Sasuke without warning, his stance changing once more into a much more brutal style that used his upper arm strength and balance to give him enough power for a simple thrust to Sasuke's chest to send him flying over the surface of the river.

"That'd be the end of the fight."

Ichihara straightened, drawing his left leg back so it was just spread as far as his shoulder, his arms slipping into the pockets of his coat as his face remained with his soft smirk.

His eyes remained spinning, observing Sasuke as he rose from the water, panting slightly from the small spar.

"H-How would that be it?"

Ichihara leveled a serious look in Sasuke's direction, his eyes fading back to blue as his smirk vanished.

"Because, I would have injected my chakra into your central nervous system, poisoning you in one of the most vital areas."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, even when Ichihara looked to the side, running his left hand through his glistening hair. "Come on, I'll treat you to a bite, anywhere you want, and answer any questions you have, within reason."

Steel obsidian took over crimson red, determination piling in Sasuke's body as he forced himself to his feet.

"Okay."

I~~~~I

"How do you inject chakra into someone else?"

Ichihara paused at the question, midway between eating his noodles and swallowing. He finished the latter task before he thoughtfully spoke up. "Well it's a little hard, especially since like I told you I'm not really go at channeling chakra. Mostly it's me forcing my chakra into the air in an almost raw state. It's modified a little."

Ichihara set his chopsticks against his bowl as he regarded Sasuke.

"It's like what you do with the leaf really. I make it so the chakra of my opponent wants to eat my 'bait' chakra, which leads to it entering their body. It's a lot more complex, but that's the easiest way to explain it. The lightning can help sometimes, since I use it much like the Raikage of Kumo does, creating a shell around my body to act as a more natural current."

Sasuke nodded, his gaze meeting Ichihara's hands as he spoke up.

"Would you be able to teach me?"

Ichihara looked sharply at Sasuke, his eyes shocked and also worried as they gazed at the boy. Still, Ichihara supplied Sasuke with one of his blunt answers after finally managing to get over his initial surprise.

"I'm not sure I can. I'd have to get permission from Tsuna-Hime, since it is an A-Rank Technique. Why do you want to know?"

Sasuke scowled at the fact he'd need permission in order to learn something from his fellow Uchiha, and his eyes darkened when he was asked for his reasons.

"It's because it would be useful against _Itachi_. If not for using it against him…then knowing how to prevent him from using it on me."

Ichihara's gaze never left the hateful eyes of the mulling Genin, a deep sadness rooted in his chest as he was reminded of the hatred Sasuke held.

"Sasuke…"

The addressed Genin looked up to Ichihara, freezing when he saw the almost brotherly affection in the man's soft blue eyes. The sight brought unpleasant and pleasant memories, ones that Sasuke wanted to burry. Still, a little voice whispered into his ear, a stinging pain forming as it spoke to him.

' _He acts like this…after leaving you alone.'_

Ichihara's gaze didn't remove itself, and it served to make Sasuke's hands shake.

' _He smiles at you, treats you like a brother, despite leaving them to die. He could have helped…'_

Sasuke clenched his fists, his palms sweating as he struggled to control his rising heartrate.

' _He let Itachi go…He could have avenged them, he could have_ saved _them…'_

Sasuke rose from his seat, catching Ichihara off guard as he whispered a sharp excuse before running from the Ramen stand, ignoring the worry in the other man's eyes as he shot up and called after him, his hand reaching for Sasuke's shoulder as the Genin forced his legs to speed up, his body to move.

' _He could have done_ something _, anything.'_

Sasuke could hear their screams in his ears, blood flashing before his eyes as his sharingan sprang to life, his feet forcing him deeper into the city.

' _He did_ nothing _! He has the power, he can face Itachi, but he lets him_ GO!'

Sasuke's teeth ground down, and with the moon as his witness, shouted out into the night sky.

"Get the hell out of my head!"

The ache was back, the rush was overcoming the pleasant warmth that had surfaced under Ichihara's small smiles and thoughtful gazes.

Sasuke's hand shot to his neck as he dropped to his knees, panting heavily while a searing pain shot through him, forcing all the air from his lungs.

' _He let him go Sasuke…he let Itachi go. He left you alone…He's keeping power from you that you could use to_ end _Itachi!'_

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock when he saw feet in front of him, two hands on his shoulders as words were shouted in his ears.

"-ea-e!"

Sasuke focused, forcing the pain back as his vision began to blur.

"Br-the!"

His eyes turned upward into a pair of worried midnight blue eyes, and he slumped forward as the pain shot past his defenses and engulfed him whole.

"S-Shit, Sasuke?!"

Growling deeply to himself, Ichihara pulled Sasuke's body to his own as he rose, tugging the boy into his arms as he released the weight seals on his legs, rushing toward the Hokage Tower.

I~~~~I

 _The world was meek, filled with black and grey. Black markings rose around a grey tree with sprawling branches, several branches drenched in the only color in the strange realm, crimson._

 _Bodies made of grey also hung from the trees, the Uchiha crest pasted into the head of every single one of the bodies' eye sockets, despite them being covered in a thin bandage._

 _Sasuke could only watch the tree with an expression of disbelief as the crimson color dropped from its branches, the spiraling black symbols growing over its surface. The lines were thick, pointed at the ends while being thicker in the middle. They looked like flames engulfing the tree of corpses in all honesty, even if they were black flames._

" _Odd, Neh?"_

 _Turning sharply in surprise, Sasuke was shocked to find a smiling Ichihara waving at him from behind, standing in a darkened field of grey grass._

" _Also sad, considering this is your mindscape."_

 _Sasuke blinked at Ichihara in confusion, opening his mouth to speak, only to find he couldn't._

 _Ichihara's smile turned sad, and he shook his head as his blue eyes opened, sending color into the world, even though the raven's armor was only grey._

" _I'm not the real Ichihara, just your conscious I suppose, taking the shape of that loaf over there."_

 _The copy Ichihara pointed his grey hand, just as the bright blue color suddenly drained from his eyes. Sasuke's gaze turned in the direction the finger was pointed, before he sucked in a sharp breath._

 _Ichihara was there, only his eyes were closed and his body was covered in the flame markings, hanging like all the others from the tree._

"… _!"_

 _Sasuke tried to shout for the man, only to once again hear silence. Behind him, he heard a gentle berating sound, before a hand settled on his shoulder._

" _It's the curse mark Sasuke…slowly it's cutting off what bond you have made with Ichihara. It's choking the life out of it, trying to destroy it. You have to stop it you know…otherwise it won't quit. It's not just Ichihara's bond after all, it's every bond you have."_

 _The copy turned Sasuke's gaze to the other live bodies being covered in the cursed markings, finding to his shock most of the rookies, Gai's team, Kakashi, and in the front right behind Ichihara, Naruko._

 _The blonde's body was almost covered, her bright hair dulled in such a way that struck at Sasuke's chest._

" _You need to fight it Sasuke…"_

 _Sasuke turned back to the copy, freezing when he noticed the sad smile on his face and the crawling marks._

" _For yourself…for the bonds you have that aren't dead."_

" _ **Stop spouting nonsense, all he needs is the power to end Itachi!"**_

 _Sasuke's eyes widened in horror as a heavy pressure fell on his body, a silent scream leaving his lips as he reached for the copy. The copy smirked however, it's body turning black as it was completely covered in the markings, it's teeth sharpened to points as its eyes morphed into the sharingan._

" _ **All you need is power…"**_

 _The world crumbled behind and in front of Sasuke, a single circle of ground staying under the smirking black figure that reached forward, even as Sasuke fell down, his hands stretching as he clung to the dirt left over. Hissing sounded, a black cobra winding around the figure's neck as he smirked arrogantly down at Sasuke._

" _ **Give in Sasuke, you want it after all…Without it you are NOTHING!"**_

 _Sasuke shook, glancing down at the chasm below him, his gut twisting as memories of blood and fallen bodies shot through his head. He clenched his eyes shut, trying and failing to make sense of it all, trying to push on the pain that entered his body as he met the figure's gaze once more._

" _ **Take my hand…I'll give you the power to end the pain.**_ **"**

 _Sasuke reached and took hold of the fingers outstretched toward him, even as he felt the earth he gripped crumble away, the figure laughing as he vanished, leaving Sasuke to fall into the abyss as he silently screamed._

I~~~~I

Ichihara bowed his head, looking toward the struggling boy lying in a hospital bed. Above him Tsunade rubbed her hand over his shoulder, trying to convey her sorrow over not being able to help the boy struggling within his own mind. Worried blue eyes never left Sasuke's body, even as Ichihara methodically changed the rag on Sasuke's head to aid the stress-indused-fever.

"He'll pull through Ihara."

The Oreshizoku did not reply, gently fixing Sasuke's covers as he slumped forward once more, cupping his hands under his head.

"Ihara-"

Tsunade began again, cut off by the opening of the hospital door.

"Sasuke!"

Naruko and Sakura rushed into the room, both of their worried gazes shooting to the boy in the bed as Ichihara spared them a shocked glance.

Upon seeing Ichihara's state, Naruko's eyes darkened a fraction. Her head snapped toward Tsunade's faster than Ichihara could even start to question Sakura rushing to Sasuke's bedside.

"Tsunade-Sama, what happened?!"

Tsunade met Naruko's gaze, her own hazel eyes softening on the girl bordering between silent anger and boiling rage.

"It's the curse mark…it's activated and is poisoning Sasuke's bloodstream. We managed to compress it…but only Sasuke can stop it."

Naruko's fists clenching and her dangerously void tone were the only indications to her rage as she stepped away from Tsunade, glancing toward her teammates.

Her eyes then flitted over Ichihara, and it seemed like something just broke. The girl turned sharply on her heel, stalking from the room. Tsunade's eyes widened at this display, taking her own step forward until she heard Naruko's words.

"I'm going after Seido Tora, he helped To-Kin Kitsune numb down the curse mark's influence. Don't try to stop me."

Tsunade's eyes darkened, Ichihara's breath catching in his throat while Sakura turned sharply to observe her teammate, stopped at the door with her posture rigged stiff.

"Chunin Uzumaki, you won't be leaving this village-"

"I said don't try to stop me-"

"-without help! You are taking Kakashi and Ichihara with you, that's final!"

Naruko froze, turning sharply to face Tsunade as the golden haired woman narrowed her eyes on the defiant Jinchuuriki. "Ichihara, go."

Ichihara blinked, opening his mouth to comment when a gentle hand pressed into his shoulder. He turned to meet Sakura's emerald gaze, determination leaking from her. "Go Ichihara-San, bring back this guy that can help Sasuke."

Ichihara's throat felt tight as he nodded, shooting toward the door while Naruko nodded at Sakura, Ichihara's hand grasping her shoulder before they vanished.

 **Hmm, didn't expect that did yah? Well it's for sure not cannon, but with Sasuke having more bonds than Cannon, I couldn't up and have him suddenly leave, neh? Oh dammit…I've been writing too much Ichihara! *Groans* Anyways…Please Review, especially if you have creative criticism or simply some comments on the overall chapter.**


	26. XXVI- Rising Emotions

**And here we are…I think you've waited a bit too long for this chapter. School's starting next week on Tuesday, the 23** **rd** **, and I really felt the need to post this before I had to go to jump start today because knowing the school the way I do, it'll be hectic today. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following, it's very appreciated.**

 **Disclaimer-Nope, not ever. I could never own Naruto.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Summer screwing up its job…and friends.**

" _I'm going after Seido Tora, he helped To-Kin Kitsune numb down the curse mark's influence. Don't try to stop me."_

 _Tsunade's eyes darkened, Ichihara's breath catching in his throat while Sakura turned sharply to observe her teammate, stopped at the door with her posture rigged stiff._

" _Chunin Uzumaki, you won't be leaving this village-"_

" _I said don't try to stop me-"_

" _-without help! You are taking Kakashi and Ichihara with you, that is final!"_

 _Naruko froze, turning sharply to face Tsunade as the golden haired woman narrowed her eyes on the defiant Jinchuuriki. "Ichihara, go."_

 _Ichihara blinked, opening his mouth to comment when a gentle hand pressed into his shoulder. He turned to meet Sakura's emerald gaze, determination leaking from her. "Go Ichihara-San, bring back this guy that can help Sasuke."_

 _Ichihara's throat felt tight as he nodded, shooting toward the door while Naruko nodded at Sakura, Ichihara's hand grasping her shoulder before they vanished._

I~~~~I

Naruko and Ichihara appeared in a swirl of red chakra in the middle of the Namikaze Estate, Naru's balance faltering for a moment as the girl panted lightly.

"K-Kakashi!"

Ichihara turned to the girl in worry as footsteps sounded, a dressed and equipped Hatake rushing over.

"Naruko, how's Sasuke?!"

Naru faced her Sensei, relaxing while her muscles spasmed slightly, before she straightened.

"He's in a coma…the Curse Seal started acting up a while ago. We're going after Tou-San and Hashi-San in order to have them seal it…they just left with Tobi-San to mark down more outposts, Tsunade told me to bring you and Ichihara along."

The red head rushed through the details, Kakashi nodding sharply once she had finished. "Let's get going then, I have my mission supplies already packed so we can use those."

The three traded glances, before they were once again taking hold of Naruko's shoulders, ignoring the slight shiver the girl had as she used her blood style Shuinshin.

I~~~~I

A groan left pale lips as Sakura changed out the rag on her teammate's head once more, staring at the boy in worry as she ran her hand over his body, green chakra surfacing as she checked for anything that needed healed. The cursed seal had grown in the span of two hours, creeping along Sasuke's neck as he whimpered in his sleep, tossing and turning while fighting against his inner demons. Finishing with her checkup, Sakura reached and took a hold of one of Sasuke's hands, sighing deeply as she stared at her comrade.

"Sasuke…It's a little funny how not too long ago I would have been squealing at the thought of taking care of you like this…and now I'm wishing more than anything I wasn't. I wish you were okay…but at this point only Naruko's friend or you can actually stop this. I-I promised her I wouldn't be h-helpless y-you know…I swore n-not to be useless…"

Cupping her hands around Sasuke's own pale hand, Sakura closed her watering green eyes tightly, ignoring the silent tears trailing over her cheeks.

"And here I sit…while she runs off to get help with Sensei and Ichihara…W-What can I do for you…W-What use am I?"

Sakura clenched her hands tightly around Sasuke's, weeping in silence over her inability to change what was happening. She didn't notice the hazel eyes watching her from behind the hospital door, nor the pale blue eyes attached to a blonde haired Kunoichi watching the exchange in shock.

Pushing the door closed, Tsunade sighed and looked down at the fangirl below her. "Yamanaka Ino, correct?"

The blonde jumped slightly, but nodded as she eyed the door, worry filling her eyes.

"H-how could she call herself weak…s-she managed to go all the way, b-becoming a Chunin before even S-Sasuke-Kun…"

Tsunade sighed gently, turning around in order to walk away, pausing only once she was a few feet away to reply to the confused rival. "Because, when you see someone you care about hurt like that…and you are unable to help them it makes you feel like the weakest being in the world."

Ino looked over to the woman, her eyes widening as she caught the changing in Tsunade's tone, the switch that suggested that Tsunade knew the feeling personally.

Honestly, the thought of Sakura and Tsunade being weak only made Ino feel even worse about her own predicament.

I~~~~I

It fell in a gray haze at his feet, the building encirclement of ash that spawned from the fire encroaching on the forest around his body. His green eyes rested ahead of him, the pupils strained in their white-state with the white ring around them growing ever so slightly before a pulse of yellow entered the eye. The affect caused the blurred black mass hurtling toward Ken's position to sharpen, forming a large muscled body with red trails drifting over the back like wings.

A breath left Ken's mouth as he shifted into a fighting stance, his eyes relaxing, the strained coloring shifting the normal olive as he relaxed his muscles and channeled chakra into his gut, summoning thin tendrils of Buronzuchen (Bronze Chains) from the dirt.

The chains drifted around Ken's body in a protective dance, not pausing in their thrum even when the oncoming group of shinobi broke into the fiery clearing.

"Madara-San, I'm surprised that Tsunade-Hime would choose to send you along this mission…One would think any of the men in your group would be too _valuable_ to spend on a lowly defector such as myself."

Ken's green eyes displayed mirth, but his unwavering stance declared defiance. This was a trap, they knew that, he knew that. This whole encounter was truthfully unneeded, but the masked Akatsuki leader loved nothing more than to play with Ken's father.

Temashi had few things that could actually set him on edge or make him do what you wanted. Tobi just happened to know that Ken's life being played with happened to be one such way.

"Quit playing…where is your father Ken?"

From behind Madara the voice spoke up, edged with a parental protectiveness Ken was very accustomed to. Turning his gaze slightly to the side to meet the masked natural-blonde's eyes, Ken offered a tilt of his shoulders and a slight withdraw of his feet, a change in style that was normally too subtle to notice. Ken was facing three Kage-level shinobi however, and could truthfully expect them to notice far more than his slight change in step anytime he switched targets.

Kin Kitsune looked a little miffed at the boy's change, but he did not withdraw his question, even as his eyes trailed the chains dancing around the boy in a fluid manner.

"Tou-San is recovering, that's all you need to know."

Tilting his head to the side, Ken dodged a kunai tossed at him lethally, his lips quirking at the left corner before he reached and caught the tip of the handle, twirling it around to fit the bandaged length into his palm before he sent it toward his opponent, ignoring the silver blur that snatched it right back from the air.

"Why did you start this boy?"

Ken angled his head toward Madara again, clucking his tongue over the roof of his mouth as his chains started to turn inward, tense and ready to lash outward at anyone or anything that came closer. "What do you mean? The fire?"

Ken's smirk widened and his eyes darkened as his chains shrunk into needle-thin strands, seals forming beneath his feet as his palms were drawn together. Madara's eyes met his, sharingan activated and spinning. "I'm not a fan of bonfires, _Grim Reaper-San_."

Crimson orbs widened a fraction before the seals sharpened to points at Ken's feet, his opponents backing away as his chakra shot into the jutsu he had prepped before the Treasury members had arrived.

"Zero Seals Style, Nova!"

Black light rose upward before it ensnared Ken's shrunken chains, shooting out like lasers toward Gin Okami and Kin Kitsune, separating them from their fellow Treasury while a sharp crystal gray light encircled Ken, rising into a blinding flare that swallowed the burning forested area whole.

I~~~~I

Several Kilometers off, toward the center of fire country, Naruko, Ichihara, and Kakashi all witnessed the blinding nova blaze, they're eyes narrowing on the target as Kakashi's ninja pug Pakkun gulped from his spot at the front of the group, tracking the scent Naru had given him earlier.

"The chakra…"

Naruko spoke allowed, her eyes turning to a darker shade of blue before fading into crimson, three tomo stressfully still as they looked at the fading light.

"Kakashi-Sensei, that chakra is familiar…It's structure and channeling is also a lot like when I use Seals Style."

Beside Naruko Ichihara activated his sharingan, pushing away at the faint block left from the changing of his chakra. "It's different…A lot of Yin chakra actually…"

Naruko's mouth felt dry as she read into the implication of the words. Her gaze sharpened and chakra forced its way into her reserves, a voice breaking through to her mind with a sharp tingle.

' **It's very familiar actually…You need to get there quickly, something isn't right with this.'**

Kurama's tone was of no nonsense, and despite rarely hearing the fox (or wanting to pre-Kakashi method), Naruko felt no surprise at his words and wasted no time shooting out of her position in the direction of the flare.

From behind the Uzumaki, Kakashi and Ichihara shared looks before nodding in confirmation. Kakashi turned his gaze sharply to one of his loyal Ninken. "You can go now, thanks Pakkun."

The pug saluted them and vanished in a puff of smoke, the males launching after the red headed blur that was quickly disappearing into the trees ahead.

I~~~~I

When the light faded from Madara's eyes, he was met with a dark landscape, covered in black boxes risen to different heights, the air filled with a stiffening smell of death.

He turned around, his sharingan pulsing once as he took in the orange masked man standing off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest.

"We have to talk… _Old Man._ "

Madara's heart dropped in his chest.

I~~~~I

Minato ducked under a swipe from a poisoned blade, red hair falling over dark green eyes as the young looking adversary shifted from his stance beside Doten-Shi, who fired off fire jutsu's at Tobirama's waves.

"Ken, don't hold back. If I need to drag you back I will."

The younger red head's lips twitched slightly, and the boy let out a heavy sigh.

"Sorry for the inconvenience in advance Sasori-Sensei."

Ken's weights were apparently released, as his figure blurred from his position beside Sasori of the Red Sands, the S-Rank criminal rising to his full height as his fingers twitched. Faintly, Minato heard the smashing of something hard against water, droplets of water touching his hair as Tobirama's battle kicked into gear.

"Sensei…So you are Doten-Shi's master. I'm rather surprised…considering you are of Suna relation and really have nothing in common with him or his father."

Sasori stared at Minato's masked face blankly, a scroll unrolled at his feet sparking smoke as several puppets were summoned from the folds.

"I suppose…but that's mere assumption."

Sasori's fingers barely twitched, but even so the move sent Minato upward as he dodged one of the puppets charging toward him, the other two summoned rushing at him from the sides, deadly contraptions at the ready.

"Honestly, it gets tiring when others assume such things about my colleagues. I suppose it's better than asking about relation simply because of my hair color, but it is awfully overdone by now."

Shifting on his feet, Sasori brought his hands closer to his chest, further down as the puppets shot after the elusive Treasury he had pitted himself against.

"Would you stop…it's rather irritating when you only run. I hate to be kept waiting…or leave my apprentice waiting."

Minato grunted in return to the aggravated Suna-Nuke Nin, dropping from his place above, shifting in order to duck under a row of Senbon aimed at his head, twisting his body to the side to avoid the sharpened and rigged blade of a Puppet's configured arm.

This was followed by a toss of his Hirashin Kunai in Sasori's direction, and a swift one-handed cartwheel over a plume of fire sent at his previous position, a grunt leaving the former Kage's lips as part of the fire singed his hair and legs.

Minato landed on stable ground, vanishing in less than a second while Sasori slipped away from his original position, his puppets rearing backward, before sliding right into the path of Minato's blade as it sliced into Sasori's former position. The red head narrowed his eyes before he brought his hands closer together, several kunai that resided in the ground pulling themselves upward, right into Minato's line of sight.

The ANBU vanished in a blur, appearing several meters away at his cartwheel spot, before vanishing once more as the puppets targeted him with more poisoned weapons.

"Temashi owes me for taking this over…even if he pushed it aside for Orochimaru."

Sasori muttered under his breath, shifting once more as one of his puppets was slammed into the ground by a swirling blue sphere of chakra.

Behind the sand nin, a large pillar of air rose upward, a light sigh leaving Sasori's lips as the wind whipped past him, turning into a large controlled vortex. His eyes softened, and he shifted his stance into a more offensive one, his pupils shrinking with concentration as his hand drifted over the pouch gifted to him by Temashi. "Hmm, about time I got serious as well."

I~~~~I

Across the field several seconds before, assaulted by rolling and flowing water jutsu's paired with Wind and Lightning, Ken shifted through several familiar hand signs and breathed outward as his palms met together in front of his chest.

"23 Seals Style, Gale's Gate Jutsu!"

Wind broke outward from his spot in torrents, tearing through the waves that rushed toward Ken as the chakra infused air circled him in a narrow cone. The cyclone formed rose to the heights of the sky, spreading outward and swallowing the jutsu that had previously started to wear on Ken's endurance. His green eyes glowed, staring through his own chakra toward the white soul infused with swirling red rivers, each color balancing it's other half almost perfectly.

' _A beautiful soul…it's as balanced, even more so actually, than Tou-San's…'_

Shaking his head only slightly to destroy the thought, Ken started to run through more hand signs, wincing when the barrier of wind was slammed into by a water dragon, bruising the surface before the dragon was swept away, the part it had slammed into much weaker than before.

' _One shot…Come on hands move-_!'

The barrier was pushed apart, a sharp blow of centralized water powered with lightning and a careful burst of wind tunneling right through the weakened surface, a light curse threatening to leave Ken's lips as he continued to flash through hand signs, even in the face of the growing offense. Faintly, he wondered if he should have used 53-Seals Style Earthly Gate, but it was too late now considering that Senju Tobirama was a formidable opponent and had easily broken past Ken's barrier.

(Vaguely it registered that Tobirama really shouldn't have been able to do so without changing the flow of his chakra to match the barrier, but the thought was dismissed readily as Ken continued to focus on his hands.)

Finally, as the water broke and fell to the ground to reveal Ken's enemy, he stopped on his last sign, a single twitch of two fingers and the roaring current of chakra building upward in his system, right toward his right hand the turned on its side as Ken aimed his ring finger at Tobirama, his thumb extended to the side with his other fingers curled toward his palm.

His green eyes darkened to a forest green, the pupils turning a bright white as he called out the name, chakra forming in a bright green swirl around his ring finger's tip, condensing as his words came out in a sharp breath.

"73-Seals Style, Heaven's Gate!"

The chakra built into the small ball shot outward in a blur of chakra and wind, the sphere expanding rapidly as it shot toward Tobirama at near break-neck speeds.

The Nidaime was quick to throw up his defenses, even as seven more chakra orbs extended from Ken's fingers. The orbs circled the former Kage, before they pulsed, now the size of the rasengan and growing, expanding into cross shaped blasts with their centers pointed toward Tobirama.

Taking a rushed breath, and pulling his fingers back into a fist as he extended his other arm to set his middle and index finger on one of his chakra points on his arm, Ken forced his chakra to switch form it's wind fusion to fire, several yellow tendrils fired from his fist, circling his enemy and the glowing crosses.

All too late Tobirama sensed and saw the chains folding into the centers of the crosses, green wind-infused chakra and yellow fire-aided chakra combing, forming arrows out of the cross beams. The tendrils connected, and Tobirama's water shot upward as the barrier glowed, obscuring itself and its creator from view.

I~~~~I

Sasori sighed heavily as he glancing toward the ANBU caught in an array of 88 sealing tags, created thanks to Temashi for this exact situation.

"This won't hold you for long…I didn't infuse it with all my chakra after all. Still, keep this in mind the next time you decide to try and attack an Akatsuki member. You may have infinite chakra and regenerative ability, but we have a sealing specialist."

Turning away from the man stuck in his trap, forced still by the glowing adamantine chains binding him to the ground, Sasori gazed toward the battleground behind him. He had seen the flash and felt the rise in Ken's rather unique chakra before the expected drop, and upon seeing the barrier surrounding the disguised ANBU guard ahead of him, Sasori felt a slight build of pride in his chest.

He turned toward his student, panting heavily from the sidelines as he clutched his arm, the upper part slightly burned in a single pint wear he no doubt overloaded one of his chakra points again.

"Ken…"

The boy turned toward Sasori, offering a tilt of his head as he focused on breathing, his eyes unfocused and still in their released state.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting…"

The boy had the galls to grin, if only slightly, before collapsing forward. Sasori allowed the boy to face plant into the ground as retribution for the earlier act, before he leaped toward the boy.

His arm slipped under the boy's chest, hauling his body over his shoulder gruffly as Sasori's chakra strings fetched his cloak and tossed it over his other shoulder. His feet led him forward, past the glowing sealing array and the binding chains that held his enemy. His gaze focused before him on the orange masked man standing in the tree line waiting for him.

"Sasori-Dono…I hope all went well."

Sasori barely glanced at the man, instead stalking past him with his baggage, earning a gruff chuckle.

"Care for the boy first…Of course."

The masked man followed Sasori forward, both Akatsuki shinobi vanishing in quick bursts of speed as a team dropped into the clearing behind them.

 **Finally…Finally got this finished. It was so horribly hard to type this up, because anytime I tried I'd get two or three** _ **words**_ **, and then bam, nothing more. I pushed and got it done this time, but it was rushed and it has holes (mostly intentional, neh) and shorter than intended. It was supposed to get to them returning, but all changed and now I'm stuck with this. Oh well, I'll go over it again and try my best to continue this series till it's end and beyond. Damned mind can't give me a break.**


	27. XXVII- Thriving Curses

**Back again, in a burst of rejuvenated interest. I haven't been getting much sleep lately because of this interest, and a couple other medical problems (frekin Insomnia…bites you in the butt everytime.)**

 **Well here it is, the next chapter and hopefully the one that ties this together, including what I mentioned in the last chapter (know what I'm talking about? No? Well you will soon)**

 **Dislaimer-Couldn't own it if I tried.**

 **Chapter dedicated to the rain that chases away writers block.**

 _They both stood across from one another, panting and shaking with each breath as their sharingan met in dark glares._

" _It seems that the cursed seal provides more power than one could imagine."_

 _Naruko's lips twisted into a scowl, mocking and annoyed, her hand extending forward as she channeled chakra into her palm. Blood chakra surged over her arms and into the swirling sphere. Sasuke watched with anger as the ball compacted, black chakra mixing with the red, Naruko's body relaxing as her black and red blood chakra grew to surround her body, the kyuubi's cloak fading away while her hair seemed to grow, her eyes becoming a dull red._

" _ **Let's settle this…Uchiha."**_

 _The voice came from Naruko's lips, but Sasuke knew that it wasn't his teammate's. The voice wasn't the Uzumaki's, it was the one drawn from that damned boy that seemed to live inside her._

" _Fine by me!"_

 _Sasuke shouted out, extending his hand as lightning chakra shot down from it, the murmur of Ichihara's advice echoing in his ears as he put it into the jutsu._

 _The boy possessing Naruko sighed, his slit pupils narrowed on Sasuke as the two lunged toward one another, brandishing their respective jutsus._

 _They met in the middle, black and red chakra slamming into grey, spiraling before they both exploded in a violent shockwave, covering both of their bodies in a blinding light._

I~~~~I

The moment Naruko's sandals touched onto the scorched and battle-torn earth, she shot toward the chains holding down her father's body. Kakashi and Ichihara rushed after her, only to stop when Madara, still dressed in his uniform, dropped beside her.

The Uchiha turned toward them, his sharingan meeting their eyes as he pointed toward a glowing dome off to the side.

"Gin Okami is over there, you try and free him while we work on Kin."

Reluctantly, Ichihara nodded at the man, casting one last glance toward Naruko, before rushing toward Tobirama's position. Kakashi lingered a little longer, but soon followed Ichihara.

Left alone with Naruko for the most part, Madara turned to watch the girl drop beside the straining Adamantine Chains, her eyes shooting toward the many tags that spawned the chains. She seemed to scan them, trying to decipher them as she tugged at one of her scrolls and unrolled it.

"T-This seal…It's so complicated…Damnit I wish Ero-Sensei was here…"

Cursing under her breath the red head bit her thumb and ran it across the surface of the scroll, summoning a sealing set along with several rows of different weapons.

Madara stepped forward, watching as the chains stressed to contain the struggling Edo-Tensei beneath them.

"Can your father not break out?"

Naruko bit into her lip as she sorted through her things, bringing out her brush and paper as her hands worked semi-quickly.

"It's draining his chakra faster than he can regenerate it. If it keeps going…"

Blood chakra broke from feet, swirling beside her as she worked her hand over the paper, creating smooth black lines.

The blood chakra built upward until it formed a humanoid shape, the chakra melding into skin and bone as it formed into Kurai Hafu's body, dressed in his normal black attire.

The clone crossed his arms over his chest, his red eyes narrowed on Naruko's paper as his white hair fell down over his back, the beads brushing the sides of his face.

" _ **Then Minato may in fact be sealed away. Theoretically anyways. Tch, I warned you about this Kitsune…Temashi isn't going to idly sit back and let revived Kage level shinobi run around when it goes against what he believes in. His kid apparently isn't either, since he's tried to seal away Tobirama. The kid doesn't have nearly enough chakra though, so I doubt that seal will hold him for long."**_

Naruko finished her tag, flashing through hand signs at a near frantic pace as the chains started to tighten and grow larger.

" _ **Oh? You are actually going to unbalance the seals that a master at sealing placed? Kitsune, you're outclassed in this area, wait for one of the Senju's."**_

Madara observed the interactions calmly, catching every twitch and every shake that Naruko displayed, catching the worry and _fear_ in her eyes as she finished her hand signs.

"11 Seals Style, Replicate."

Her voice shook slightly as she pressed her middle and index finger to the seal she had created, her left palm pressing into her stack of tag length paper.

The tags were encased in chakra, the chakra swirling to form the same design that was printed on the single tag, before it pressed into the surface, forcing its way through the many tags. Behind Naruko, Kurai sighed and leaned forward, pressing his hand to her shoulder with a scowl, the chakra glowing before turning black, the design forming on the paper at a faster rate as Kurai's chakra surged along with Naruko's own.

Naruko rose to her feet, raising her hands to form the ram seal, summoning 53 clones, each clone grabbing a tag, before Naruko and Kurai each took one of their own.

Behind them Madara stiffened, watching as Naruko and her clones surrounded the sealing circle, each grasping one of the tags in their right palm. Kurai stood next to Naruko's own self, shaking his head with a sigh.

" _ **Shut it Kurama…I'll do it."**_

The manifestation muttered under his breath, before all the copies extended their sealed hands and slammed the tags into the ground, right below the other sealing tags. Madara's narrowed sharingan widened a fraction as he realized that the tags Naruko had copied just so happened to be second tear sealing tags, far below the sealing tags surrounding her father, but still capable of combing. The tags linked, and in a burst of chakra, the tags burst to life, glowing with chakra.

I~~~~I

It was hard to choose, to fight against the instinct in her mind to simply let her father _go_. This could be his chance to pass on, his chance to be with her mother again and Naruko's chance to leave.

But it wasn't that simple, because Naruko didn't want to let her father go. The thought of never seeing him again, of letting his soul go and not _being selfish_ for once…hurt. Kurai understood this, as did Kurama. Others might not, would berate her for being a stubborn child when she is a _Kunoichi_ , but Naru could care less.

' **Don't think so much Kit…Just do what I say and we'll keep the damned Yondaime alive.'**

Right now wasn't the time to tear herself apart anyways, right now was the time to carefully follow Kurama's instruction, to do what was needed in order to save her father. Later, she'd debate her choice, later she'd pull herself apart cursing herself for her selfish stupidity, but right now she needed to _follow orders_.

' **Second level should be good for now. Here's the image, now** _ **be careful**_ **, and do it correctly. A single line out of place and it won't work.'**

She pushed her hands to still, forced chakra through her limbs and _controlled_ herself like a good little killer as she worked her brush into smooth strokes, remembering what Hashirama and Tobirama and _Minato_ had taught her as she copied the image that Kurama implanted in her head of a second tier sealing tag.

' **Good, now then, you remember the jutsu you saw in those scrolls? Use 11 Seals Style Replicate, 22 Seals Style Replicate will take too long right now.'**

Methodically she flashed through the hand signs needed, pulling her chakra to the surface as she ignored the voice of Kurai in her ear. Her mind was forced into autopilot as she worked through the process, calling out the name as she set her right fingers to her original tag, her left hand pressing into the stack of empty tags to her left, her chakra channeled through them as the imprint of the sealing tag was copied and moved to the blank papers.

' **Kurai, give her some of your chakra to speed up the process.'**

The grumble from the manifestation was ignored as his hand pressed into Naruko's shoulder blade, somehow relaxing her as the process sped up considerably.

' _Thank you…'_

There was no reply, but Naruko couldn't really blame Kurai since the words were hardly ever spoken to even Kurama. There was also the fact that Naruko was now moving on to the next step.

' **53 clones, Shadow Clones should do. Kurai and you will make 55, which offsets the 88 seals perfectly.'**

Naruko felt her heart jumped but forced it to calm as she went through the process of creating Shadow Clones, ordering them to do what Kurama had wanted. Kurai begrudgingly followed, and soon she was standing around the sealing circle, a tag in hand.

Her chakra channeled to her palm and she forced the tag into the ground, connecting it to the other tags before jumping backward, ignoring the sharp tinge of foreign chakra that surged into her system after she connected the tags, her eyes never leaving the array as it glowed with new chakra.

' **Relax Kit…Relax.'**

Kurama's voice soothed her now pounding heart, a rush of air swooping over her head as the array started to spark, the chains stilling before they spasmed as the even seal was disrupted by the odd numbered seal. Naruko gave in finally, the shaking taking over as the array burnt out, the chains falling to the ground before fading away as the seal was disrupted. From the middle of the array, Naruko saw the humanoid ash pile shaking, paper skin reattaching itself before her very eyes.

' **Now…To fix the Uchiha.'**

' _ **More like find Hashirama and then fix the brat…Tch you really need to be more organized.'**_

I~~~~I

He could feel the warmth of the barrier surrounding him, could see the smiling face before him, and it made Senju Tobirama relax his formerly stiff posture.

"So…this is how the boy gained his abilities then?"

The woman, standard raven hair and pale skin with rich green eyes, nodded with a gentle smile as she sat down in the middle of the spiraling light barrier.

"Yes, my son put you through a lot I believe? That Boy, I swear, always up to no good with that crazy father of his. If I hadn't kept either in check as long as I had, your beloved village may have been driven to the brink."

Tobirama looked around the barrier as he nodded politely to the woman with such a calming presence, her green eyes assessing him like a kunoichi would as he walked around his area.

"I'm a little surprised at the fact you were able to manipulate his chakra…I haven't heard of such a thing since-"

Tobirama was cut off by the woman, whose eyes took on a nostalgic mirth. "Oreshizoku Shiro, the Third Heir. It's true, broadcasting one's chakra into others to form yourself is no longer as well… _known_ , as before, but I still make use of my talent with it. It's the only thing I could do as a shinobi, otherwise I was useless. Unable to toss a Kunai or flirt, unable to do much good in seals or Kenjutsu, Ninjutsu or anything with actual _finesse._ Instead I learned underhanded Genjutsu, medical tactics, and sensory. Even then, I'm such a beacon of chakra when I fight that it didn't really matter."

Turning her head to the side, raising her arm to press into the dome and draw up a memory, of a toddler being held on a red haired man's shoulders. "Temashi-Kun and Ken...my Husband and little Sochi."

She looked back to Tobirama, her eyes darkening slightly.

"I'm only a memory, Nidaime-Sama, but I still know that my boys are in deep trouble…I only want to ask a favor of you, for the little family I have left."

I~~~~I

The barrier fell apart, the silver haired Kage standing in the middle, clutching a Thunder God Kunai in hand, his hand bleeding slightly as he started to heal the wound closed with glowing green chakra.

Ichihara and Kakashi both felt their bodies relax slightly, turning their heads towards where Minato was recovering beside Naruko, whom had Kurai at one shoulder and Madara at the other.

Tobirama marched right toward his fellow ivory male, wordlessly ordering them forward as his hair slipped over his mask.

His red eyes settled on the girl telling off the former Yondaime, said male cringing with a playful smile on his features, paired to his favorite innocent face.

"A-Aki…c-come on don't be so harsh…"

Naruko's glare darkened on her father, and in an effortless swipe she send his head forward, a groan leaving the Yellow Flash as he fell flat on his face into the dirt.

"Then don't get yourself sealed again, idiot! If Kurama wasn't such a _nice_ guy, you'd be sealed away and I would have to leave you as is."

The girl's eyes flickered, emotion traveling through them.

The emotions Tobirama saw were familiar, and easy to recognize. Selfish love and a guilty loathing, flickering inside those bright blue orbs that made it very clear that she hated herself for making her father's choice because she wanted her family still. Tobirama could relate, as he himself had created the Edo Tensei for the same selfish desires.

It made the wise Kage a little worried for the health of the young girl however, as the red head was emotionally unbalanced and a complete academy beginner when it came to actually dealing with those emotions. It didn't help that the girl looked to not only be fretting about her father but other things, and if the twitch in her muscles were anything to go by, or the presence of the Hatake and Uchiha, it was clear something was wrong.

"What did you come for?"

Akihane's head snapped to Tobirama, her emotions becoming tightly packed behind her blue eyes in an instant before she spoke up.

"I need to get Tora…My Teammate Sasuke's cursed seal became active and it needs to be sealed. Jiraya-San doesn't know exactly how to go about it, but Tora managed to reign in mine more so than anyone else…"

The girl trailed off, more pain flashing over her eyes as her lip was tugged into her mouth and worried on.

Nodding at the explanation, Tobirama turned toward Minato, silently questioning whether he was up for jumping through seals yet.

The Yondaime grunted but rose to his feet, sighing as he shook his arms, still not completely reformed after the massive drain that the seals from earlier had performed. He nodded at Tobirama anyways though, because he'd never let his daughter down, especially if it was over something so important to her, as well as the others he had taken under his wing.

And from how Kakashi relaxed again and lost the heavy edge in his gaze while Ichihara breathed out in relief, Tobirama could easily state that the two were very worried about the younger Uchiha in peril.

"Hand on Naru, Madara grip my shoulder."

Madara sighed, reaching to grab Minato's shoulder while Kurai scoffed and held his hands into a release sign. _**"I'll leave you to it."**_

He fell apart into Blood Chakra, Naruko shivering as the chakra funneled back to her and Minato jumped.

Tobirama turned to Kakashi and Ichihara next, both reaching to grasp each of his shoulders before they vanished after the others.

I~~~~I

His body ached, when he finally came to. He felt feverish and heavy, his lidded eyes gazing upward at the ceiling as tried to figure out where he was.

His head turned to where he sensed someone, and a clatter was heard as green eyes filled with happiness, worry still present but mostly overtaken by joy.

"S-Sasuke!"

Sakura shouted, shooting up from her seat. She turned sharply, running to the door before calling into the hall.

"Someone get Tsunade!"

Sasuke turned his head again, breathing out heavily as he gazed at his fist, before his dark eyes narrowed.

Unseen by the pinkette trying to get the Godaime to the room, Sasuke's eyes turned red, three tomo twirling as his nails cut into his palm and a smirk worked its way over his lips.

I~~~~I

The room was dark, only the faint flickering of the computer monitors showcasing the ongoing battle before cunning gold eyes as a means of light.

Sitting before the monitors, with his glowing eyes narrowed on the fighting, Orochimaru breathed out a raspy breath.

"It seems…that it truly is time to make our move…"

The Sannin looked down at his arms, at the many, _many_ scrolls unrolled before him with delicate Kanji and twisting lines forming patterns along the surface. His gaze darkened further in hatred toward the man that had put him in his current position.

His lips tilted into a cruel smile as he thought of his Sound Four managing to hit the damned Uzumaki with the help of his newest recruit

As though summoned, a gust of wind pushed against his back, barely enough to make a leaf shake but enough to alert him of his partner.

"Go, bring Uchiha Sasuke to me…If someone is to interfere, end them."

A curtain of black hair fell from a pale face, deep black eyes gazing at Orochimaru's back as slim fingers bound with gloves raised to move the strands from their face.

Upon pushing the strands past their cheeks, white twin swirl marks were revealed, black tear drops formed in the middle of each swirl.

Her eyes, growing dull in the dark room, had thin rings of obsidian inside, a faded black filling in the blanks.

"It will be done, Lord Orochimaru. I won't fail you…Not like that bastard traitor Temashi."

Chuckling in half bloodlust and half excitement, Orochimaru relaxed himself.

"Oh course not dear…Not when he sides with that brother of yours."

The woman's lips tilted downward, red lipstick accenting her scowl as she rose from her spot, her hair falling over her back in smooth waves, brushing past the scythe clipped to her cloak.

Hanging from her neck was a circular pendant with six pointed star in the middle, made with chakra enhanced metal.

"Yes…of course."

With that, the woman soundlessly vanished again, the light from the screens seemingly growing as it covered the spot she had been in earlier.

Orochimaru watched the fight still, a smirk still present on his lips. _'Bring me the Sharingan…and do not fail, Alpha.'_

But Orochimaru knew her, knew exactly how the young woman hated traitors and just what lengths she'd go to in order to ensure her brothers demise. That's why above all else, he trusted her more than Kabuto, more than anyone he knew.

I~~~~I

He rose silently in the room, finally relieved of the onlookers as he dressed in his gear. His eyes were hardened, his thoughts un-deterring as he wrapped his arms in their bandages. Finally finishing them with a quick tie, he straightened and pulled his window upward, launching from the hospital room he had been placed in. Without waiting, he rushed toward where he knew Naruko's former apartment to be.

His eyes bled from black to crimson as he dashed over the roof tops, finally spotting the large building ahead.

His hands tightened on the deactivation seal Naruko had given to him not long ago, and he dropped down onto the balcony. Ignoring the twinge at the back of his head, he pulled the door open. The apartment was cleared of everything, several floorboards sticking upward from inside the room he had just entered the only sign that the apartment had even been used. Closing the sliding door behind him, Sasuke turned his head and marched toward the uprooted boards, still fingering the seal in his pocket.

He could feel a burning pain in his neck, growing stronger as time passed by, but paid it no head as his eyes roved over the floorboards, finally stopping on the one board that didn't have flooring beneath it. It was rather oddly designed, tucked away near the wall. A cupboard, no doubt meant for storage of boxed possessions, was revealed.

Crouching down, Sasuke fingered the tag before forcing his chakra into the seal his sharingan gazing at the symbol scrawled into the wood serving as a back wall to the cupboard.

It was the Uchiha Fan, inscribed inside a circle with three tomo doting the bottom and sides of the fan.

Sasuke had seen the symbol before, knew exactly what it meant thanks to _that_ man.

His hand forced the tag against the middle of the seal, his sharingan focusing as his chakra was pushed inside, and the symbol faded before his eyes.

Left behind the fake wall, was a single scroll with black rings and a white middle, carved cherry wood serving as the core while a black leather binding held the entire thing together.

In the middle of the front of the scroll, a single tomo was printed. Really though, it was all Sasuke needed.

He had sensed it earlier, when tracing the second chakra he saw next to Naruko's many times, when tracing the chakra that was so similar to Ichihara's and Itachi's at the same time, but yet, still very different.

It was a kind white chakra with a brutal protective edge that sparked whenever he saw it.

But it also had a deep sorrow rooted inside of it and a roaring blaze of power forced steady control. Black was swallowed in that white, and sometimes, it showed.

Especially now that Sasuke traced the source to this particular scroll hidden away in Naruko's old residence, likely ignored because Sasuke could only feel the burning darkness churning around that seal Naruko's tag had just dismantled. It made sense, what with his acceptance of the same burning power in his own neck.

The Loyal Uchiha wasn't sure why exactly his cursed seal was so similar to the hidden chakra that he found inside Naru, the chakra that was now looking to be more of a figment with each passing second now that the seal no longer drew it to the spot.

"Well isn't this a sight…I little boy groveling over an Oreshizoku Heirloom that could very easily cost you your soul."

Sasuke turned sharply in shock, his hand reaching for weapons as he took in the pale skinned woman before him, her black eyes staring into his own while her wavy hair brushed against the floor. Behind her stood several cloaked figures, ones that Sasuke could vaguely recall seeing trapping the Sandaime back in the Sound Invasion.

The woman was knew though, and upon catching sigh of the dangling yin pendants on her ears and the headband around her forehead bearing the symbol for sound, Sasuke knew that she also worked for Orochimaru.

The woman's smile unnerved him, what with the fact she somehow reminded Sasuke of his departed mother, despite the fact the woman's lips held nothing but malice for him.

"You Uchiha are always the same, honestly though I'm not sure I expected much else. You know what I'm here for, don't you brat?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened at the name, but he commented anyways. (He really didn't want to find out what that even darker edge to her eyes was about by making her mad)

"Because Orochimaru wants the Sharingan…and he'll give me the chance to kill Itachi in return for it."

Sasuke's teeth ground down at the thought of his brother, his eyes going still while the woman smirked again, this time though her red lips revealed a bit of her pearl white teeth, before she extended her hand toward him.

"Come on then, don't be shy. If anything, we'd be your best allies. The Akatsuki have nothing but our hate…"

Her own eyes darkened, and Sasuke was sure he saw the same grief and vengeful nature inside the woman that he saw in the mirror ever morning.

(Sasuke would admit much later, a few years later to the woman's very own face, that while he thought of her in likeness to his mother, she was much more like his father.)

Sasuke reached, and took the hand outstretched to him, even as he inwardly screamed.

I~~~~I

Sakura's heart stopped when she saw the hospital room empty, her hand immediately ghosting over the strange Kunai Naruko had given to Tsunade to give to every one of the Konoha Twelve.

She briefly thought of Sasuke, before letting go of the handle as she scrambled to the window, already flying through the hand signs Anko had drilled into her head over hours of practice. Her hand stopped, and she pressed the palm into the wall as she forced her chakra outward, trying desperately to find Sasuke within the vicinity.

Sakura cursed when her range fell short and she was left with nothing but faint flickers of Sasuke's flame like chakra. She gripped the wall hard enough to make it crack, before promptly launching herself from the wind sill, running toward the Uchiha district as she kept her senses open, each step extending her reach a little farther.

The pinkette bit the inside of her cheek as she searched, pushing off the ground to take to the roofs while turning her head to and fro in an effort to locate her missing teammate.

' _Damnit Sasuke, if you've become the reckless one of this team then I'll beat some sense into you!'_

I~~~~I

Naruko forced her body to calm itself as Tobirama, Minato, and Hashirama all talked amongst themselves. They had found the First quite quickly, but after information was revealed to them about Hashirama's intelligence, the three were debating going after the information or going with Naruko.

If they chose to stay then Sasuke would have to wait for a day at least, a few more at most. If they chose to go, they'd all have to go or only one Hirashin and two or three others, and even that was stressing the delicate seals that hadn't yet been upgraded.

It pained Naru, to be forced to wait while her team could very easily be suffering. Ichihara and Kakashi seemed to be suffering like her, though Ichihara was the most worried it seemed when it came to the cursed Uchiha.

Finally, the three Kage pulled away from one another, Madara looking up from his resting spot against a sturdy tree. Minato looked at his daughter and sighed heavily, before looking back toward the others and his colleagues. Tobirama was the one to speak first, his eyes never leaving the others.

"I am staying, which means Kin can only take three of you at most."

Naruko nodded in understanding, yelping slightly when she was pushed forward by two sets of hands. Her head turned toward the other males behind her in shock, only for Kakashi's gentle smile and Ichihara's trusting one to cut off her words. Ichihara instead took up the spot of following speaker, keeping his eyes shut to hide his pain.

"Go. Tora, Kitsune, you, and whoever else shoulder go. I'll stay back and help out Gin, since I'm the least recognizable Konoha Nin and am not truly needed in Konoha right now."

Naruko's mouth failed to work, Kakashi reached to tug her to the side, toward Minato and Hashirama's spot, even as Ichihara urged the girl forward.

"He'll need you there Naruko…"

Naru knew the reason Ichihara wasn't asking to take Kakashi's place in this matter, knew that while Sasuke may logically need his teammates he was still growing close to Ichihara it was also logical to also take Ichihara. She knew, without seeing Ichihara's eyes, or hearing the words, that the stupid Oreshizoku was afraid of losing someone else right in front of his eyes again.

So she nodded, she closed her lips and straightened her back, turning away from the hurt man as her hands clenched against her Sensei's side, her legs moving her beside her father as she reached to grab the man's jacket as well.

Hashirama sighed at the sight, glancing toward Tobirama in a silent convey of words, before Minato vanished with them all in a yellow blur.

This left Madara, Ichihara, and Tobirama together on their own.

Ichihara's eyes finally opened, the deep blue orbs shadowed in pain and regret before they morphed into his sharingan, turning toward Tobirama to nod.

"I'm start seeing if I can find anything through a tracing…"

The boy's hands flew through hand signs, but neither adult was really focused on his jutsu as they watched him take his pain and tuck it away inside himself.

I~~~~I

When Sakura finally found Sasuke, she was at first relieved.

It was midnight by now and the girl was very tired, her chakra spent from running around trying desperately to find her elusive friend. That said, she was entirely surprised when she shouted out and got silence.

"S-Sasuke, you're okay…Dammit I was so worried, do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be walking around like this in your condition!?"

Sakura stepped forward to take hold of Sasuke's shoulder, his back facing her front, but was stopped midway when Sasuke glanced back at her, catching her green eyes in a red haze.

"Sakura…Get away from me."

The pinkette tried to jump back, but a swift blow to her chest sent her doubling over, a groan leaving her lips as she tried to straighten, only to feel Sasuke's arms wrap under her body as his right hand curled right around to her neck, a sharp bolt of electric pain shooting through her body.

Sasuke's sharingan deactivated in disgust after Sakura slumped, Sasuke's arms tugging her upward into bridal style before he looked around.

His eyes landed on a lone bench left out in the open, and with a sigh he hauled the pinkette higher in his arms and marched toward the seat.

A small chuckle left the air beside him, and without a single sound the black haired woman from before began walking beside him.

"Sweet, brat."

Sasuke tried to ignore the woman, but in the end when he finally put his teammate down, he couldn't help but comment. "I used a lightning jutsu I had no idea if I could control…I've never before pushed chakra into someone else, but I did it with her. That's anything but sweet."

The woman gazed knowingly at Sasuke, her eyes doing little justice to her truly mischevious nature.

"Even I know a dumbed down magnet shock to the real thing, Uchiha, despite my lack of expertise in the field."

Sasuke only turned and walked toward the gates, the woman following soon after as she took to the silence in earnest, ignoring him as well as they walked right out of the village gates. From the sidelines, inside the guard booth, two pale haired ninja sat back to back, bruises forming on the back of their necks.

I~~~~I

It was the in the middle of the night that Naruko, Kakashi, Hashirama, and Minato all dropped into Tsunade's office.

The blonde haired Hokage was waiting, her eyes displaying troubled emotions as she nodded to the other Kage, before looking to Naruko.

"Naru…"

Naruko looked at the woman, her eyes narrowing at the tone used. "What happened?!"

Her tone was sharp, one used by a true Kunoichi.

Tsunade's eyes closed, and her head hung as she stepped to the side to reveal the unconscious blossom haired girl behind her.

"Sasuke wasn't in his room, and Sakura went around trying to find him, but the upped patrols found her just a few minutes ago. She's unharmed…except for a small bruise on her neck near her pulse point. It seems someone used lightning chakra and injected it in her system, shortening the nerve response for only a moment, enough to cause the brain to black out for a few hours."

Naruko's breath caught in her throat, and in an instant her sharingan was swirling to life as she rushed toward her teammate's side, taking her hand while observing the mark on her neck. The Kage stood back, dread building in the adults stomach's as they thought of the implications.

It was very possible, that even with only a week's worth of training, Sasuke had started to learn how to inject his chakra into someone else.

The thought that the boy had done this to one of his own teammates was quite disturbing however, as it meant that either he had given in to the cursed seal, or he simply no longer cared for his fellow Shinobi.

When Naruko's fist clenched at her side and she released a drawn out breath, they knew the answer to the silent question in the air, even without her reply. "It's his chakra…S-Sasuke's…"

Tsunade's head hung before she straightened and barked out orders to the ANBU standing by outside her door. "Neko, fetch me Chunin Nara Shikamaru! Time's short, so make it quick!"

The woman then turned her gaze toward Minato and Hashirama, her shoulders shifting to be raised as she ordered them. "Grab whatever you need, I can only spare you two right now…Konoha needs to stay on guard as it is. You will go after Uchiha Sasuke along with Chunin Uzumaki Naruko, Chunin Nara Shikamaru, and whomever they decide to drag along."

Naru turned her gaze to her Sensei, whom was clenching his fist as well.

"T-Tsunade-Sama, they need more than just-"

Tsunade cut Kakashi off with a glare, her eyes conveying the fact she didn't like this any more than he did.

"Jonin Hatake Kakashi, you will follow orders. We can only spare so many right now…Konoha is weakened enough from Orochimaru."

Kakashi turned his gaze to Naru, whom only met his gaze for a moment, before she raised her hands and formed clones.

"Kin Kitsune, Seido Tora, please get whatever you need. I'll be collecting whomever I can right now."

Naruko vanished soundlessly in a swirl of blood chakra, followed by her father and Hashirama in a blur of yellow.

Kakashi closed his lone eye, before he nodded at Tsunade. The woman slumped backward, falling into her chair as she brought her arms up to encase her face in her hands. Minding her privacy, Kakashi also vanished.

I~~~~I

It took only half an hour to gather everyone, Shikimaru, Naruko, Choji, Neji, and Kiba. The two ANBU accompanying the group stuck to the shadows as they catalogued what they had, Naruko laying out the information quickly as she handed out several of her father's Kunai to each of the Rookies.

They looked at her a little strangely upon seeing the thunder god Kunai, Shikamaru voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"Naru, what's up with the Kunai?"

Naruko sighed and unsealed her sword from her scroll, slinging it around to her back for easier access before speaking. "If you get into trouble, use it and I'll know. We aren't alone in this, but our enemies don't need to know more than possible with the situation at hand."

She finally finished, looking at everyone with her emotionless blue eyes. They looked like ice, and yet had no cold to them. If anything, her gaze was reassuring. She bore the face of a kunoichi, not of a friend. "Alright, let's hurry up and get going. If Sasuke reaches the border…we can't do anything."

The group nodded sharply, and they all shot out of the gate, falling into a Diamond-formation with Shikamaru and Naruko at the head, Kiba and Neji behind them with Choji at the back.

 **And there's that chapter at 6000 words. Next will be the retrieval, and then hopefully the Finale.**


	28. XXVIII Fighting Shadows

**Oh man I'm so glad for this, I mean one or two chapters away from the finish (with three chapters completed back to back GAH!). It sucks a little though that just when I was finishing, Microsoft word started acting up, and now I have to re-enter every term it doesn't understand** _ **again**_ **into the dictionary because it's an ass software. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer-I'm a freshmen, I don't have** _ **time**_ **to own Naruto.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Jumpstart today.**

 _His eyes rested on her downed body, her red hair fanning out, mixing with the blood the hole in her chest created._

 _He coughed, and his own blood splattered onto the face of his rival, the face of his teammate._

 _Her eyes remained closed, her skin remained pale, and her chest continued to heave as it slowly stitched itself back together from his earlier attack._

 _Sasuke trembled under the weight of his own arms, the cold sinking into his limbs as his torn shirt was pasted to his body._

 _The rain smelt heavily of blood, and the entire valley was covered in red lacerations of glowing blood chakra, created by the combined attack of Naruko's Blood Rasengan and his Chidori._

 _He watched his headband fall forward, dropping to cover the eyes of the girl he had loathed for so long._

 _The metal covered half her face, her own headband hanging around her neck, nearly falling off._

 _Shaking his head, Sasuke reached forward and shakily grabbed a Kunai laying beneath Naru's fingers, dragging it over the leaf symbol._

 _Then, her pushed himself to his feet, the blood rushing to his head at the sudden movement. He felt dizzy, dropping the Kunai as he started to fall._

 _A long arm caught him, a sigh leaving red lips as the black haired woman slowly tugged him to her body, rising from her crouch._

" _Rest brat…You'll be fine."_

 _Sasuke shut his eyes, persuaded by the warmth radiating from the woman, and the smell of white lilies._

I~~~~I

The raven haired boy jumped from branch to branch, keeping pace with his five escorts.

The Raven woman seemed to be the leader, and often she would glance back to check on them before speeding them up.

It was only a half a day away from Konoha that she finally stopped, dropping into a clearing as she turned to Jirobo. "Start the process, I'll keep watch. The rest of you, help where you can."

The woman marched off, leaving the Sound Four with a slightly confused Sasuke.

When the biggest one, with short and spiky orange hair, pulled the giant basin form behind his back, Sasuke slightly understood.

"It's to enhance the cursed seal. Right now yours is only level one. Level two is even more powerful, but it takes a long time for the process to complete and can easily result in death."

The silver haired male, who seemed to be the second in command, spoke up from beside his red haired female friend Tayuya, and his dark skinned friend with multiple arms and spiky brown hair, Kidomaru.

Sasuke looked at the sealing container, trying to remember the few lessons Kakashi taught seals to them. The seals on the basin were complicated, but he could locate the _'infusion'_ , _'compression'_ , and _'Yang_ ' seals mixed along the sides.

"Alright, do what you have to…"

His curse mark burned into his skin, the screaming starting again as the Sound Four lead him through the process.

I~~~~I

It had been only half a day since Sasuke's departure, and already Naruko was starting to get larger traces of his and his groups chakra. Four of them reminded her of the four that had aided in Orochimaru's escape, and the other one…

She was unsure why, but it was the exact opposite of her sister's white chakra. It was dark, not quite black but also not gray, holding endless amounts of furry and yet still contained, calm in all the ways that mattered.

If anything, it reminded the Uzumaki of Shikamaru's chakra when he used his clan techniques.

"Kiba, can you catch a whiff of Sasuke's scent? I'm only able to trace his chakra, and even then it's still faint."

From the sidelines, Kiba took a whiff and groaned.

"Sorry, but all I can smell is…well not sure but it's overpowering and blank. Actually, it kind smells like you Shikamaru, but more feminine."

Naruko frowned, her eyes spinning before she called to Neji.

"Neji, can you see the chakra?"

The boy raised his hands, activating his Byakugan as he observed the area ahead of them, each of them pushing against a tree branch to spur themselves forward. "I can't believe it…"

The Hyuuga prodigy's eyes widened, and Naruko bit her lip while Shikamaru glanced to her.

"What is it?"

Naruko glanced toward the boy, and then she face front and raised her hand into several hand signs. Instantly Shikamaru's brow furrowed, recognizing several of them as ANBU hand signs. Finally, finishing with a very brief explanation, Naruko spoke.

"One of the five people with Sasuke is a Yin Chakra user…They are likely female, and their chakra and scent are almost exactly like a Nara's, if not for the more malicious edge. They are way out of our league Shikamaru."

Shikamaru grunted, looking forward as their formation tightened, everyone drawing closer at the information.

"So what are we going to do?! If this woman is out of our league, how are we going to get Uchiha back?"

Naru sighed from her spot, and suddenly she stopped, raising her hands upward as blood chakra burst in front of her.

A large curved blade slammed into the barrier, making it crack from the force as Naruko grunted and everyone stopped.

From their spots, they could easily see the woman balancing on a branch ahead, her curtain of raven hair winding around her slim figure as she curled a silver chain around her left fist, tugging the Scythe sent for Naruko's head back into her hand in a single jerk.

The woman watched them all, her ruby red lips tilting upward as the shadows surrounding the group began to crawl.

"You won't."

From her spot, Naruko inwardly cursed, and grabbed for her lightning tags.

"Stick together, and watch the shadows, her chakra is spreading to them!"

Shikamaru called from the middle of the group, raising his hands to clasp them together as everyone readied for the next attack.

Before they could even move, or their enemy could make her move however, a blur of yellow dropped in front of the children.

"Naruko, get going. Seido and I will handle her."

Naruko's posture stiffened at the appearance of the gold masked ANBU, who turned his head to narrow his blue eyes on her.

"Understood."

Naruko brought her hand upward and the blood chakra that had protected her and her group earlier branched out before surrounding them all, collapsing in on itself.

From her position in front of Kin Kitsune, the woman frowned, glancing behind her as the shadows surged toward a small clearing a few meters ahead. Before they could reach however, branches shot upward, blocking the path of her sight.

Another ANBU dropped down, this one wearing a mask of a tiger colored Bronze.

"Well…Two Treasury members, the Hokage's most elite personal task force. Rather odd, for such high members to be on such a _lowly_ ranking mission."

The woman's lips tilted again, and she gripped her scythe as she switched her stance so she was able to see both members, her pendant glinting in the light that managed to fly down through the branches.

"Too bad…I've been ordered to leave no one alive."

The shadows spiraled up the trees, covering the paths of light leading to the spot while Kin and Seido rushed the woman together.

I~~~~I

Naruko forced her nervousness down, releasing the barrier surrounding her group as she panted gently. Using Shuinshin with others was rather hard, even if she had Kurai's help guiding her chakra.

From behind, she heard groans, and turned in time to watch Shikamaru rise, disoriented but okay.

It also gave her the perfect view of crawling branches covering their escape, making her relax.

"Come on, get up. I know it feels weird, but we need to get moving. Finding one of them out here means we are close."

The others rose, Kiba the first one to speak.

"W-What the hell was that?!"

Naru smiled gently at him, a bitter edge breaking through the sides.

"Shuinshin. It's an advanced speed technique. I used it to forced my barrier to move past the woman. Your muscles will feel a little tingly over it, but they'll be fine after a while."

Shikamaru sighed heavily, but nodded and everyone else seemed to gather themselves, Choji grunting.

"That kinda makes my stomach want to flip."

Naruko sighed and turned, readying chakra in her feet.

"Sorry, but we seriously don't have time to get used to it…" _'I'm not sure how much Tou-San and Hashi-San can do against that woman…Especially since her Chakra seemed so…dark.'_

Shaking her head, she shot upward, her team following after a moment as she contemplated on her speed seals.

' _It's best I keep them on for now…I'll deactivate them as a last resort.'_

She looked ahead, and steeling her features, she allowed her eyes to sharpen, her sharingan enhancing as Kurama's chakra flooded into her orbs as well.

Instantly the world grew brighter, more focused, and her vision expanded. She could see much further ahead, toward the five signatures ahead.

"Neji, details. Everyone, keep on guard and ready yourselves, we have a battle up ahead."

I~~~~I

From his spot observing the winners of the other matches being drawn together for the final match, Orochimaru sighed heavily.

His body felt weakened, and he knew that unless Alpha used her shadow walk, he would need to take a different body. If only Sasuke had come sooner.

His eyes darkened, the gold narrowing around his slit pupils as a scowl settled on his purple lips.

That Kyuubi brat of Minato's had ruined too many of his plans, taking away his chance for revenge, thwarting his invasion by saving _one_ Jonin, befriending her fellow Jinchuuriki and fixing his seal so he wouldn't be able to release Shukaku on the leaf.

Then, she had stolen his chance to regain his arms by attacking him back with Tsunade, even if it ended in her being suppressed by his cursed seal.

And in line of that memory, Orochimaru thought to the boy whom had possessed the Jinchuuriki and attacked him in outright hatred for hurting Ichihara-Kun and talking bad about Sashiko.

He had never seen such a manifestation, had never experienced a being made purely of emotion. It was odd, especially since the being was another soul, sealed inside the Uzumaki.

If anything, Kurai Hafu reminded the Snake Sannin of Alpha, only the opposite since he was made of Yin chakra, and to Alpha, Yin chakra was poison.

A smirk slowly worked its way back onto Orochimaru's lips, and he allowed himself to lick them in anticipation as he thought of his subordinate.

No matter the order, she'd follow it till the end. The only way to stop her from doing something he ordered was to contradict that order, but then it was up to her to decide the importance and which one she'd pick over the other.

It didn't matter much however, because Alpha would always remain at his side so long as he aided her in killing her brother, the man who had torn her life apart with an insane smile on his face, the man who against all odds, seemed immortal.

It only meant more revenge on the Akatsuki Bastards, meant more reasons to tear the damned organization apart for what it did. With Sasuke joining, looking for revenge against his brother as well, it only gave Orochimaru more of a reason to give him to Alpha to train, to protect, and aid.

"Kabuto…"

Orochimaru turned to face his silver haired subordinate, whom both loathed and adored Alpha when it came to her loyalty and standards.

"Bring me Kimimaro."

I~~~~I

Naruko cursed herself and her enemies as she felt her chakra vanishing, even with the suppression seals she had placed on the earth dome surrounding them.

They needed a plan, and quick, because Sasuke was getting further and further away as they waited, and it pained her to lose another person because of her weakness.

' _ **Summon your Blood Chakra Kitsune, force it outside the barrier. If you do that I can form and take out your enemy.'**_

Naru winced at the idea, but right now Shikamaru was thinking and the others were looking to them both for a plan.

' _Okay…'_

Naruko reached, and placed her palm against the side of the dome, Shikamaru's left eye opening as he turned to her sharply.

She breathed out, forcing her chakra through the dome, feeding Jirobo even more before it surged through his feet to the ground.

She heard a gasp from outside, one of pain, but ignored it as she channeled more blood chakra through, enough to causing it to gather around her body.

"W-Woah Naru, what the hell?!"

Kiba shouted from the side, but his small warning did nothing for the male holding the dome, Naru's eyes moving behind her lids as she felt the chakra form into a clone.

Instantly, Shikamaru turned toward Choji, whom had been snacking since they got stuck.

"Choji, do it now!"

The Akimichi nodded, and quickly Shikamaru moved his teammates from the line of fire as Choji's body expanded and he turned into his human boulder. His body smashed into the back of the dome, the walls cracking under the spinning pressure.

"O-of course!"

Kiba shouted, and Naru forced her chakra again in a particularly strong pulse, using it to cut off the paths of Jirobo's remaining chakra. Choji's body flew from the dome, and outside a newly created Kurai smashed his fist into Jirobo's back.

They all departed from the dome, Naruko turning and flying through hand signs before anyone else.

"Wind Style, Gale Strike!"

Kurai jumped backward, and flashed through his own hand signs.

"Fire Style, Fire Spout!"

The fire and wind met, colliding with Jirobo to create a giant funnel of fire.

Naruko turned her head as Kurai landed beside her, smirking as his red hair fell in spikes over his back, his bangs braided once more.

" _ **Well Kitsune, that'll only hold him for so long, you brats, choose whose staying or going!"**_

The others stared at Kurai in confusion, but all the attention was brought away when Choji stepped back.

"All of you go ahead, I'll stay back and hold him off."

Everyone turned to Choji, Kurai smirking.

" _ **Don't die Akimichi…Can't have the little Kitsune saddened by your death, can we?"**_

Kurai was abruptly silenced by a fist to his face, the blood chakra falling apart to the ground as Naruko scowled at his spot.

"Ignore him. Choji are you sure? If we go ahead…"

She looked in his eyes, and Shikamaru reached forward to grasp his friend's shoulder. Choji nodded at them all, his eyes opening to show his determination.

"Go get Sasuke."

They all nodded and stepped away, before turning and running back into the trees. As they did so, Choji turned to face his opponent. His eyes darkened and he prepared himself as the funnel of fire started to fade.

Naruko clenched her hands and breathed out a soft prayer to her father, hoping that if Choji got into trouble he'd be okay.

Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba all watched this, Shikamaru sighing while the switched to a box formation.

"He'll be fine…He has the Akimichi's secret weapon with him Naruko, he won't be beaten."

Naru nodded, but it obviously didn't help with her attitude. She pushed herself further, channeling chakra to her legs.

"Pick up the pace, we need to make up for time lost."

They fell into silence, Kiba checking for the scents while Neji and Naruko used their Doujutsu to find the chakra.

I~~~~I

A distance away, Kidomaru glanced back and scoffed as he felt the approaching nin.

"Damn Jirobo couldn't even hold them for a few minutes. Go on, I'll handle this."

Kidomaru's group nodded, Sakon taking the barrel with Sasuke while Tayuya called to him.

"Better come back with your ass intact Bastard."

Kidomaru only smirked at the red haired girl, watching them vanish before he prepared himself.

It didn't take long at all before a rush of chakra appeared before him, a blurry red head swinging her sword right for his neck.

He slid to the side to avoid the blow, ducking under a volley of Taijutsu strikes before jumping away from a winding Shadow. He twisted mid-air to avoid a spinning duo, and landed on a branch overhead as he looked down at the team before him.

"Well what do you know…seems like you split up."

Naru's eyes darkened, and before the Sound Nin could continue his monologue, she was already flashing through hand signs.

"Wind Style, Wind Bullet!"

Her compressed air shot right toward Kidomaru, tearing apart the tree he stood on while her teammates tensed.

"Naruko!"

Shikamaru tried to reprimand the red head, only to be silenced when the girl dropped to her knees and flashed through more seals.

"33 Seals Style, Fountain Gate!"

A wall of water rose upward, blocking the oncoming yellow projectiles aimed at them all. The arrows shattered into pieces when touching the barrier, enhanced by Naruko's blood chakra rising behind the water.

Shikamaru grunted from his spot behind Naruko, calling to Neji.

"Neji, find him. Kiba get ready for another attack. Naruko keep the barrier up, we'll need it if he decides to be trigger happy."

Each of the shinobi nodded, following the orders swiftly.

I~~~~I

Minato swiftly moved around the sharpened shadows, grunting as he was pushed to flash away from an oncoming hoard of the swirling shadows. Hashirama wasn't faring too much better, his vines slapping the shadows away while he dodged the ones he couldn't redirect. The woman who kept them at bay remained in her spot, watching them with narrowed black eyes as her hand clenched around the handle of her scythe.

The Namikaze could tell that the woman was picking her battle, choosing who to attack by seeing what they could do. Her shadows did most of the intelligence gathering, even if occasionally she'd use her hands to control them and push either of her opponents away from her.

It was honestly concerning how she was able to control the shadows at whim, how she seemed so at ease with the situation.

A sharp blade soared past Minato's cheek, and he bit inside his cheek as he vanished again, the scythe sent at his head being pulled back into the woman's hand as she dropped down where he had been. He was a few meters away, reaching for more of his Kunai as the woman straightened.

Her eyes widened, and chakra built around her in a large black aura. The stress of the chakra was not lost on Minato, who had never seen that much corrosive and _visible_ chakra before.

It seemed that he was very much out of his league, and a quick blur of black and his instincts were all that kept him from losing his head to the woman's scythe swinging over him.

He had barely dodged, and with a quick burst of chakra Minato flung himself out of another attack, using more chakra to flash him behind the woman several meters. He didn't waste any more time channeling chakra, blowing out a soundless wind bullet like it was second nature. He vanished once more before the scythe smashed into the spot he had been in once more, the woman swiftly dodging the compressed air.

The raven then raised her hands twisting them with the chain connected to her scythe as the weapon was drawn back to her hands. Once the handle was clasped in her palms, she tensed and her chakra flowed onto the blade.

Minato's attacker appeared in front of him, her palm slamming into his chest before she spun and slammed the end of her scythe's handle into his face.

He stumbled, and his eyes widened in shock when the blade hit the ground beside him.

His weight felt off, and he hit the ground before vanishing in a flash again, dropping further as a searing pain suddenly grew from his right arm.

His blue eyes turned toward the arm, and his mouth dropped inside his mask as he noticed the missing appendage.

"Kitsune!"

Hashirama called form his spot surrounding by wreathing shadows, and Minato barely registered his body teleporting once more in order to avoid another blow. He grunted and turned his eyes back to the woman, whom had finally stopped vanishing and reappearing in order to watch his arm as it reformed.

"Orochimaru did tell me that you were…special cases…but he never said anything like this. It's rather interesting, since you don't hold pendant but can regenerate on such a level…"

There was another rise in chakra, and a root shot through the woman's chest as Hashirama dropped down beside Minato, offering him a hand. They both kept their eyes on the shinobi however, as the shadows slithering on the ground still had yet to stop.

However, unlike what either of them expected, the woman didn't vanish like a clone.

Instead, she groaned and pulled her body off the stump inside her chest, her skin hissing as smoke rose from the wound, her skin slowly stitching together as she tilted her head and popped her neck.

A smirk worked its way onto her red lips, and she allowed a single chuckle, before the shadows expanded and her chakra filled the dome entirely, bringing Minato to his knees in shock, Hashirama tensing further under the pressure.

"That was rude…Stabbing a woman through the back like that. Too bad it only made me more annoyed with you both."

Her eyes sharpened again, and unseen to the two Konoha nin, the rings became more prominent, the fillings turning into a lighter black.

Her stance shifted, her scythe brought over her shoulder while her legs planted in the ground beneath her, the shadows shooting outward while she vanished from their vision.

" _No mercy!"_

The voice called from Minato's shoulder, just before he felt a searing pain in his abdomen.

I~~~~I

Naruko grunted in pain as she was scraped by a spiraling yellow arrow, Neji jumping forward, right in front of her, to smash one to pieces.

Shikamaru stood behind her beside Kiba, trying to think of a plan while Neji and Naruko tried to deal with their enemy.

"Dammit, with him staying so far behind…We need to get closer. Naruko, can you manage another Shuinshin with a tag-a-long?"

Naruko blinked before nodding, readying herself as Shikamaru motioned for her and Kiba to switch places.

She did quickly, and the next minute she spent listening to Shikamaru's plan, her eyes switching to their sharingan at the end as she nodded.

"Gotcha."

She pulled back and then flashed through hand signs.

She slammed her palm into the ground, smoke erupting around everyone.

In an instant she grabbed both Neji, letting Shikamaru and Kiba fall back while she pushed chakra through her body, forcing them forward in a blur.

She appeared only a few meters before Kidomaru, whose eyes were wide in shock. Neji shot toward his enemy, wincing as his muscles adjusted to the sudden speed up, his palm hitting Kidomaru's chest.

The Sound Four shinobi fell backward, losing his balance while Neji dove for him, calling toward Naruko. As he did so, Kiba and Shikamaru dropped beside their teammate.

"Go, I'll take care of this!"

They all nodded, and without a single word launched themselves further into the woods. As such, none of them noticed the light smirk on Neji's lips as he watched them go.

"I feel sorry for your teammates boy…They won't make it out of this alive, and neither will you."

Neji turned toward his opponent, and a light chuckle left his lips as he shifted into a gentle fist stance.

"Actually, you should worry more about your team."

Neji's eyes strained as the Byakugan was activated. He met Kidomaru's questionable gaze unwaveringly, before replying to his confusion.

"Because they have to deal with a pissed off Naruko."

I~~~~I

He felt it as he leaned back against the trunk of a tree by his camp, the spike in Yin chakra that went far above anyone he had ever met. His red eyes snapped open behind the black mask, looking toward the general direction of Konoha.

It was quite a sight, the spiraling but thin pillar of dark chakra that was sent into the air, only visible with Mangekyo. It meant the chakra was very concentrated, and as such dangerous.

Uchiha Madara's eyes darkened as he recalled the words of his copy-cat, the true leader of the organization after the Nine Biju.

' _When it comes down to it, would she actually choose you, or the family she has gained?'_

Madara's fist clenched and he pushed from the branch, observing the spiraling chakra before it vanished as his eyes returned to their black.

"Karasu-San, we're heading out."

The old founder turned toward the raven male with blue eyes standing off to the side, his left hand settled on his waist near his kunai and tag pouches, while his right hand rested on the sheathe of his blade.

The boy was a lot less emotional since Naruko and Kakashi had left, instead putting all his thought into the occurrences at the outposts, keeping his heart sealed away as he pushed himself forward.

"Alright."

Ichihara nodded and turned, walking away. He stopped however when Madara's voice reached him.

"Ichihara…Why do you hide away your emotions now of all times? Why keep them at bay, when you normally don't care to push them back?"

The boy sighed heavily, his eyes darkening as he glanced back at Madara, meeting the man's gaze.

"Because, if I lose anyone else I'm still able to leave."

The silent comment of how if anything happened to Naruko or Sasuke Ichihara wouldn't stay only intensified the budding feeling in Madara's chest for the boy.

(In the back of his mind, at the edge of his thoughts, a woman with a sad smile and bright blue eyes holding a slumbering boy floated around, untouched.)

I~~~~I

They had been running for hours, forcing themselves further in order to catch up with the Sound Shinobi.

Naruko stood at the front, Kiba to her left, Shikamaru to her right. The sun had dipped down behind them, the moon starting to rise as they quickly ran over the surface of the branches ahead.

None of them looked back or tried to figure out how the other battles were going, even when their comrades chakra levels dropped several times.

"We'll need to rest soon…"

Shikamaru spoke up, sighting what each one of them didn't want to admit.

Naruko's fist clenched at her side while Kiba let out a deep growl, both believing they should continue.

"Alright."

Naruko was the one to pull them to a slow stop, dropping down under the branches into a tiny clearing

Shikamaru and Kiba dropped by her as she rolled her shoulders and breathed out.

"Get some food going, rest yourselves. I'll keep watch."

The Uzumaki didn't leave any time for disagreement, walking away before her teammates could protest and have her rest.

I~~~~I

Her eyes slipped closed, the obsidian depths blurring together as she let out a heavy sigh. She rested against the ground, her back pressed into the hard dirt.

Craters littered the area around her, branches spawned from the depths of the forest spiraling out of control further away from her body.

Laying at her sides, several feet away, were Kin Kitsune and Seido Tora.

The two Treasury had proved very difficult, but not even regenerative abilities could save one from the poisonous nature of the woman's special chakra, catered specifically for those titled immortal.

Alpha slowly pushed her body upward, stretching out sore muscles as she sighed again, this time in relief.

Her eyes still gazed into the starry sky, the bright dots appearing as speckles as she rose to her feet.

Small pale hands gripped the handle of her scythe, and Alpha tugged her heirloom upward to her chest, curling her head around the notch holding the blade as her orbs slipped closed and tears slipped over her cheeks.

The tears were brushed away swiftly by a lingering shadow, one that split apart into Yin chakra and faded away into the air.

"So close…"

The blade nicked her skin, but the blood changed to flow into the blade instead of the handle or her skin, turning the seemingly solid black blade red.

Her eyes opened and she stepped forward, her arm swinging the scythe around to attach to her back while she continued walking toward where her team had been heading.

As she did, a faint memory jumped to the front of her mind.

She was standing between two tall white haired males, the one to the right sporting bright olive eyes with rings and yellow tinting, while the one on the left sported bright red eyes and a crazed grin.

A red scythe with three blades rested on the back of the green eyed male, Alpha's own black scythe resting on her own back. Both boys were ruffling her hair, even as she bore her teeth and ordered them to stop.

Around the green eyed male's neck rested Alpha's pendant, and around the other Albino's, rested a circle charm with a triangle inside, made with chakra metal.

Her eyes snapped back to the present, the haziness fading as a snarl ripped itself from her throat, thin, quiet, and dangerous.

' _Hidan…I'll end you for what you did to Omega!'_

I~~~~I

Groaning a bit, a silver haired man rubbed at the back of his head, his pink eyes blinking open as a scowl settled over his lips.

He rose from his spot resting on a sunny rock, his pale skin shinning in the light while his hands gripped the red scythe beside him.

A black cloak with red clouds was settled on his other side, along with a black headband and a red coral bracelet.

"I heard yah Jashin-Sama…"

The male gazed at the bracelet, eyes darkening as he reached down to slip it over his wrist.

"I'll start right-fucking-away."

 **Shortish, I guess. I just had my first day of school, and I'm pretty tired. I got a migraine near the end, but it eased up and now I'm just trying to get these chapters finished. I wasn't going to cut it here, but then I realized this is chapter 28, so if I ended it next chapter it would forever tear apart my OCD. It doesn't harm the plot too much though, just gives me a chance to add a bit of Alpha's past at the end.**

 **Alpha is my own OC, and actually one of my favorites. She's originally supposed to govern the religion of my own book series, but I decided to fit her here since I wanted a villain and she came to mind with Omega…Her brother/opposite.**

 **Anyways thanks for reading, and please be patient for the end!**


	29. XXIX- Last Stand

**It can be rather funny, how these things play out. This story took a year and a month, just about, for me to finish. Ahh, the joys of writers block.**

 **Disclaimer-In the end, I don't own Naruto, Kurai does…Maybe?**

 _When it came to his mindscape, Sasuke was rather afraid._

 _The tree, previously holding up his 'bonds' with other people, was warped and strangled by the winding marks much like tribal flames._

 _And holding him in place, binding his bond with his own body, was the shadow figure that whispered into his ear exactly what he would do to keep them safe._

 _He spoke of Ichihara's death._

 _He spoke of cutting off everything._

 _He spoke of getting revenge on Itachi._

 _He spoke of gaining power from Orochimaru._

 _He continued to whisper into the teen's ear, letting him soak up the information even as the bindings he formed continued to strangle their way around Sasuke's neck, causing him to continue to lose himself and his control over his body to his other self._

 _The figure only continued to whisper about safety, his mouth edged with a smirk._

I~~~~I

She woke them quickly, just as the sun was rising, to set out after the Sound Shinobi whom apparently had also stopped to rest the night before.

They pushed themselves to catch up with the nin ahead of them, and by the time the sun started reach the middle of the sky, they had reached their targets.

"Shikamaru, you have the female, Kiba you get the silver haired one. I'll retrieve Sasuke."

Each of the boys nodded as Naruko launched herself forward, just as the backs of the two Sound Nin and the large canister that contained Sasuke was seen.

Naruko forced her chakra into a semi-familiar pattern through her body, her limbs tingling as she once again used a Shuinshin, her foot sweeping under the legs of the silver haired nin holding Sasuke's container. The Nin called out and fell forward, a single kunai cutting through the ropes binding the canister to his back. Naruko drew back with the container, much to the other nins' shock.

Shikamaru's shadow shot around the branches, and the red headed Sound Nin was forced to jump back to avoid getting caught.

Kiba kicked the other to his partner, landing beside his friends as they grouped together, Naruko setting the barrel down.

Her sharingan was deathly still as the three Konoha Nin faced off against their opponents, the silver haired one cursing as a snarl twitched over his lips.

"You bitch…that was an underhanded move!"

Naruko raised her hands upward, summoning two clones as she scowled at them both.

"Thanks, I've been practicing."

Shikamaru shot toward the female, Kiba shooting at the male while a clone backed each of them.

Akamaru detached himself from Kiba's head and shot right beside his target, snarling while Kiba twisted.

He performed a fang over fang, leaving Naru's clone to flash through hand signs, stopping at the 13th.

Shikamaru meanwhile launched volleys of Kunai at his opponent while Naru's other clone set explosive tags up around the girl.

"Damnit, you mutt! Tayuya get Sasuke now!"

The red head nodded and raised her hand, now with a flute, her chakra flowing through it.

"Shut it Sakkon you fucker!"

The clone facing the woman who just spoke, nodded to Shikamaru in warning, raised her hands in a sign to release.

Just as she channeled chakra through and Shikamaru moved out of the way however, Sakkon and Kiba flew right past, curtacy of the sound nin tackling the Inuzuka in their direction.

"Shit, Kiba!"

Naruko called out, reaching forward as the explosion rang outward, and the two males were launched away. Her hand shot back to cover her face, her heart beating frantically as Shikamaru called after the boy.

"Kiba, Akamaru! Damnit…This is too troublesome, Naruko go-"

Shikamaru was cut off, having to flip to dodge a large fist slamming into where he had been. He dropped down further away from Naruko, the girl turning sharply in time to duck under a swipe of a white javelin aimed at her head.

The Uzumaki coughed however when a foot hit her gut and sent her reeling backward.

She tumbled onto the ground into a heap, panting heavily as her sharingan shot upward to spot whom had attacked.

She was met with deep olive eyes and pale skin.

The boy had white hair, with his bangs hanging over his face to frame it, tails behind the bangs wrapped in red cloth. The rest hung back over his shoulders, angling at his nape.

Red lines were sported under his eyes, and two red dots rested over his forehead. He wore a simple white yukata top with one shoulder hanging down, exposing his pale but fit chest. The bottom-front his yukata was engraved with a pure white yin and yang symbol, and a three bladed pinwheel was imprinted on his chest in black.

"K-Kimimaro!"

Tayuya shouted from her spot across from Shikamaru, her eyes wide in shock.

Naruko's body rolled just in time to avoid the white spear in the boy's grasp piercing her chest, also catching the reply as she hopped up onto her feet and Kimimaro tugged the barrel over his shoulder.

"Tayuya, handle them. You were taking too long, I've been called by Orochimaru-Sama to bring Sasuke to him right away."

The red head nodded, biting her lip.

"The bi-Alpha got held up. Not sure how long those bastards will have her."

Kimimaro nodded at her, and Naruko instantly took her chance, flashing through hand signs as she felt the cool but sharp chakra surface from her body.

"Wind Bullet!"

Kimimaro jumped upward, dodging the Jutsu as he fell behind his comrade, turning around while shouldering the container.

"Do what you need to, Tayuya…"

The girl nodded, and she raised her flute to her lips once more as he vanished into the trees.

Naruko cursed, glancing toward Shikamaru.

The boy's eyes were closed, his hands held in the strange shape she had seen in the prelims.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded before she summoned several clones, launching toward Tayuya.

"Hey ass hat, get the hell out of my way!"

I~~~~I

Hashirama rushed forward to catch the Akimichi heir as he fell forward, tugging him close while checking his vitals.

His expression darkened upon finding the fluctuating beats, his gaze turning sharply to the male standing off to the side, leaning heavily on a tree as his body regenerated.

"Kitsune, I need you to keep watch…This kid used a forbidden technique and I'm not sure if he'll survive!"

Minato flinched, turning in the direction his daughter had gone while his hands clenched, before he nodded sharply at Hashirama.

The Shodaime understood the man's pain, having been in the same situation on his child's first mission that turned deadly.

But right now there was someone else's child before him, and with his expertise in Nature Chakra and healing, he might be the only one who can save the boy other than his granddaughter, who was far away.

His hands moved methodically, and he set the boy down gently on a summoned wooden table, his chakra flowing through his body to his hands as they started to glow green.

He pressed them over the Akimichi's chest, and willed his chakra into the boy's body, closing his eyes as he concentrated.

He had to work quickly, with the effects of the poison from the Akimichi's secret weapon working quickly on the boy's young body.

I~~~~I

Honestly the female Sound Nin stood no chance when it came to Naruko and Shikamaru paired together.

The plan was perfect except for the fact that Shikamaru would be left behind.

Naruko hated the fact she couldn't help the boy and go after that blasted Uchiha. Even so, she had the best chance, with her speed seals activated still.

"Go Naruko, I have her!"

Shikamaru shouted from his spot holding Tayuya in a shadow binding technique, his teeth grinding down on one another as his eyes narrowed at his shouting enemy.

Naruko bit her lip but nodded, raising her hands together to form a single seal.

"Unseal…"

The weight seals deactivated and her weights dropped down, her body becoming excessively lighter as she launched forward.

Her body became little more than a blur, her sharingan gazing forward as she passed by Tayuya, the trees behind her, and continued forward the Chakra signature she recognized as Kimimaro's and Sasuke's.

She tried to ignore the fluctuating signature she recognized as Shikamaru's, as well as the spike in Kiba's chakra.

The Uzumaki ignored the way she couldn't feel Choji or Neji's signatures, focusing on her task.

' _ **Kitsune…You're going to need help with this one, you know that. His chakra, you could feel it couldn't you?'**_

She had, she didn't want to admit it, but Naruko had felt that familiarity in the white haired boy, the main reason she had been unable to sense him when he first attacked her.

' **He's correct Kit. That boy, he has a very familiar pattern. It reminds me of Sashiko's bloodline…'**

Kimimaro's chakra felt very similar to blood chakra, but also different, which meant a similar bloodline or evolved bloodline.

Naruko wasn't sure how she'd be able to fair against this opponent, since she was still working with her blood style, and when it came to that bloodline only lightning style truly was able to destroy it, and she knew none.

A spot of white was seen ahead, and the red head steeled her expression as she forced the chakra she had been fretting over into her limbs.

She launched forward, and her leg slammed into the back of her enemy, reaching for the large barrel that held her target.

Kimimaro was quicker however, dragging the container with him as he drew backward, flipping in order to land carefully on the ground. Naruko skidded to a stop several meters across from the white haired male, her blood chakra rising around her feet as er sharingan faded into deep red eyes with black slit pupils.

Kurama's chakra came quicker that the blood chakra, enhancing Naru's senses while also keeping her bloodline stable at her feet.

"It seems she failed to keep you back…"

The boy narrowed his gaze on his shorter opponent, switching so he covered the barrel with his side.

Naruko's eyes drifted to the object before focusing back on Kimimaro, whose eyes then drifted to her feet.

The green orbs widened momentarily, and he called out to her in a low tone.

"Blood Chakra…such a technique, you'd have to be one of _them_."

The edge that the word was said with wasn't lost on Naruko, the bitter and sad tone that cut her deeply.

"One of the Shiro Clan…to find one in Fire Country is rather rare. I suppose you are the one Orochimaru-Sama talked about after all. The one that reflects the negative emotions of her sister."

Naruko froze, nearly choking on air as she stared at the boy before her, wondering how the hell he knew.

"H-How…!?"

Kimimaro switched his stance, shifting his feet a shoulder width apart as he raised his hand to his arm, gripping the skin.

"They were originally part of the Land of Iron…"

Naru's eyes were drawn to the extended white bone that was exiting Kimimaro's elbow, gripping by his other hand. He pulled it out completely, and Naru's stomach flipped as he swung the sharpened bone like a tonto, aiming it at her.

"It's rather fitting, to face you out of all of them…but even if you are part of the Shiro clan I still will win. I will bring Uchiha Sasuke to Orochimaru-Sama, even if it kills me."

The boy's eyes darkened and he shot toward the Uzumaki, whom shifted into her own stance and forced her emotions back with the grinding of her teeth.

The blood chakra warped and it shot outward into razor sharp petals, six in total, while Naruko dropped down to the ground, her bangs falling over her eyes.

"Yah…It will, because I'm not leaving without Sasuke, _you understand_?!"

Naru's head angled upward and she held her hands upward into a single sign, the chakra spiraling behind her to form another body.

" _ **The Kitsune's right you know…We aren't leaving empty handed after all this."**_

Kurai's feral smile of sharp teeth caught Kimimaro's eyes, just before the two launched themselves at their enemy, red chakra smashing against black as they called out.

" _ **Shade Combination Jutsu, Shade Dragon!"**_

The chakra built together and roared as a large dragon head was formed, the body of the jutsu at least two times the size of Kakashi's water dragon.

The dragon's mouth smashed down on Kimimaro's body, just as he curled into himself.

I~~~~I

Senju Tsunade was known as the Legendary sucker that only had luck when something terribly wrong was about to happen. The explanations for this were unknown, but Tsunade knew they were fault proof.

That was the reason why when her lottery ticket came back with the numbers for the grand prize, she called in a favor and sent reinforcements after the Sasuke Retrieval Squad.

The Senju did not want to lose anyone else, and looking out her window she felt her heart clench. A deep breath left Tsunade's lips, and she closed her eyes as a few tears slipped loose.

All the Godaime could see was the broken red head whom had experienced more pain than herself, and still moved on.

I~~~~I

A burning wave of crimson, entwined with the sharp tendrils of coal.

Two pairs of eyes at the same height, two bodies moving in sync as one whole instead of two parts.

Kurai Hafu and Namikaze Naruko, parts of the same origin, two people with different goals and different thoughts, working to accomplish a single task.

The end of the Sound Ninja before them.

Kimimaro shared their ideals, and used every ounce of his strength and ability to try and end them both as the battle dragged on.

" _ **Fire Style, Dragon's Roar!"**_

Kurai's hollow tone broke the rush of battle, a large column setting the sky ablaze as Kimimaro's body ducked under the heat wave.

Naruko worked with him, flashing through hand signs to bring the tips of all her fingers together before pulling them apart in a sparkling electrical pulse.

"Lightning Style, Volatile Shockwave!"

The burst of power expanded from her fingers as the chakra was channeled through them, bursting forth before the red head in the direction of her opponent.

Kimimaro spotted her attack and grunted as he dove to the side to avoid it.

The blaze licked at his side while his opponents re-positioned themselves two his right and left.

Again their Blood Chakra rose, Naru's red diving for the sealed container while Kurai's aimed for Kimimaro's head.

The boy watched the chakra, shifting so he could move closed to the contained and away from the rising black mass.

Just before he could reach the red chakra however, Naruko appeared before him, her fingers grasping on two kunai with three prongs as she whipped her arms around, aiming to cleave his side to pieces.

Kimimaro's eyes widened and he inwardly cursed and forced chakra to his bones as he pulled his sword in front of him, barely blocking the kunai while his spine shot from his body, aiming to impale the red head before him.

Naru's eyes flashed to the slit-pupilled red, before her bright blue was back and her form began to blur, the bones stabbing into her afterimage as her body vanished.

The red head dropped down beside her partner, her hand catching his while he turned, swinging her around before tossing her into the air while he flashed through hand signs.

" _ **Black Blood Style…Lotus Dance!"**_

The blood chakra soured upward, Kimimaro readying his blade as his muscles tensed.

Above them both, Naruko's hands moved through hand signs, her weightless seals keeping her in the air longer than needed while she prepared.

As soon as the tendrils of black lashed out around Kurai, extending like extra limbs and forcing themselves upon Kimimaro, Naru's hands stopped on a single sign.

Her body started to fall, her eyes observing Kimimaro as his blade deflected the limbs, his body twisting as he too danced around the dangerous enemy.

"6 Seals Style…Broken Wind Barrier!"

The wind cut through the air, forcing itself into the earth at Kurai's sides, creating large, jagged walls around him and Kimimaro.

Kurai's hands held in a single sign, petals rising up along the wind barrier, merging with it.

I~~~~I

He could smell it. The metallic odor of blood, wafting through the air as the area ahead of him burst upward into a shower of debris.

A pillar of red chakra rose in a plume, and a roar sounded as a flurry of fire rose around the pillar of blood.

The scent became stronger, and he forced his chakra away from his nose so it didn't over whelm his senses.

In the corner of his mind, he heard Shukaku mutter, and a deep sigh left his lips as he sensed the power so close to his own.

"Naruko…You chose not to use Kurama then…"

Gaara's eyes shut for only a second, and before them the fire broke apart, two large foxes sprinting down the column to the ground below.

His eyes opened to their sea-foam green, laced slightly with a ring of gold.

His feet pushed against the branches, furthering his body towards his destination.

I~~~~I

They broke apart, foxes standing guard with Kurai in the middle, right in front of Kimimaro while Naruko dropped to her feet behind them, panting while clutching her bleeding arm.

Kimimaro withdrew his blade, stepping back as he flicked the blood from the tip, panting as well. His body favored his right side, the left side of his chest sporting a shallow but red gash along the length of it.

Kurai didn't allow the nin any more rest, however, leaping forward with the two foxes at either side.

" _ **Kitsune, do it now!"**_

Naruko didn't need to be told twice, her hands spinning two more kunai into them, one her father's, the other a sleek and oddly designed kunai. She tossed her father's forward, right past Kurai's head, before she cupped her hand in front of her body, charging chakra into her palm while two blood clones formed at her sides.

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes, bringing his weapon up to block a strike from Kurai whilst jumping over a fox aiming to bite his head off.

His green eyes focused on Naruko, the crimson Jinchuuriki's palm starting to glow blue.

" _ **Keep your eyes on me, bastard!"**_

Kurai shouted at the Sound Nin, his kick colliding with Kimimaro's head, sending him sprawling across the grass field, right up against the container he was supposed to be protecting.

He spotted a glint of metal and cursed as he was forced to knock a kunai away from his position, otherwise it would hit the container behind him. The kunai fell to the ground, imbedding itself there.

Kurai stopped as soon as he spotted the Kunai, the foxes backing away while Kimimaro looked for the red head he truly had to watch out for.

A singular flash of yellow, and Kimimaro's green eyes met bright blue, his mouth opening in shock as the girl's arm thrust forward, a spinning red orb expanding from her palm between them. A step beside him, a clone grabbed the container, bolting away just before Kimimaro's eyes shut, a raging explosion sounding around him.

The blur landed beside Kurai, dropping to its knees as she struggled to find her breath, her world swimming. "T-Tou-San makes it l-look too easy…"

Kurai scoffed, the foxes nodding to them both before they vanished.

The manifestation watched his creator, eyeing her injuries and the decreasing aura of chakra around her.

" _ **Come on, lets head back to the village before someone else co-"**_

Naru looked up to agree with Kurai, only for her eyes to widen in horror and her body to lurch backward. A large bone blade had stabbed right through his chest, his own eyes bleeding completely to red along with his body, before he fell to the ground in a splatter.

Naru's head barely turned, and she sucked in the air upon viewing the monstrosity that was Kimimaro.

His skin had turned grey, and his entire body was covered in sharp bones, extruding form places they were supposed to support.

The boy's eyes were black, starkly contrasting to his still white hair.

"I will not fail Orochimaru-sama."

The boy dashed toward Naruko, and the red head's instincts kicked in.

Her body flipped back, over the container, away from her enemy.

She landed on the ground, lighter than before, her body rigged and ready to fight.

It didn't matter much, however, as Kimimaro had stopped anyways, pausing to observe the container he had retrieved.

It glowed, black matter seeping out as the lid pushed off.

Naru's breath caught in her throat as the boy she had been chasing after stepped out, unharmed, his curse-mark receding against his neck.

"S-Sasuke…"

The Uchiha didn't turn around when his name was called however, instead he continued to face away from her, and coincidently, toward Sound. His hand flexed in front of his chest, and he seemed to not take any notice of his surroundings at all.

"Uchiha Sasuke…Orochimaru-Sama needs you right away. Hurry to him, I'll keep the girl away."

Sasuke turned slightly, just enough for his nose and lips to show to his teammate, before his lips tilted into a smirk. Naru's heart stopped, and he turned back toward the forest. Her eyes widened further, and a twisted feeling sunk into her gut.

"S-Sasuke!"

The boy ignored her again, shooting out of the clearing without a word.

Naruko shot upward as soon as he did, darting after her teammate. Her body did not go far however, and she had to twist to avoid being impaled.

The Jinchuuriki's eyes shined, and her teeth ground down on one another as she rolled out of the way of Kimimaro. He legs pushed her up out of the way of another blow, and the kunai grasped in her palm was used to block a strike from the persistent Ninja.

A deep breath left Naruko's lips, and her eyes shut tightly, a sliver of moisture falling over her cheek as she twisted her hand around to free her strange kunai, keeping her ground as Kimimaro attacked once more.

Her eyes snapped open, the sharingan glowing brightly as it stilled, the orbs meeting Kimimaro's while her grip on the kunai became reversed, her limb arching upward to block another bone. A single tap on one of her scrolls summoned another of the strange two pronged kunai, and within seconds the metal had sliced right through Kimimaro's bones.

"I'm done…"

The hiss left Naruko's lips, calm and controlled but all the more lethal.

"I'm done placating people…I'm done fooling around. _Get the hell out of my way,_ or I won't leave anything after I'm done with you!"

He had turned away, _ignored_ her when she had tried so hard to actually do something about his situation. He was close to her, no matter how much she denied…and he was going to _Orochimaru_. Sasuke was given the Hebi Sannin exactly what he needed in order the get revenge on Konoha, and he was doing so _willingly_.

A small part of Naru had hoped that when they caught up to Sasuke, she might be able to do _something_ more that be ignored. She had seen his smirk, had noticed the twitch to it, had seen the anger and _hatred_ in the simple gesture. The smirk wasn't for Kimimaro, it was for her.

That had sealed the deal, which had made what happened earlier cement itself into her mind. (She saw Kurai's eyes again, sharp, normally fierce and cunning, overridden with fear.)

Kimimaro's eyes met hers, and he recoiled at what he saw there, just before Naruko twisted her blade around, aiming at his chest.

I~~~~I

He came just in time, his sand rising up to form a barrier just as the bones from the white haired male's chest spread outward.

Naruko fell back into him, and his arm drew around her as he leapt backward to avoid damaging his fellow Jinchuuriki any more than she had already.

"That was a stupid move, Naruko."

Naru stiffened before she relaxed, gently withdrawing herself from Gaara's grasp as she eyed the wall of sand that had saved her from near impalement once more.

"Thanks…Gaara."

The red headed male sighed and straightened, narrowing his green eyes on the opponent before him as his sand rose to surround him.

"Get going, I can handle him. Go after Sasuke."

Naru glanced back at Gaara briefly, opening her mouth to protest. She was startled by the gold in Gaara's eyes however, and the growing bloodlust surrounding him.

"Go…"

Naruko bit down on her lip again, before she withdrew one of her father's kunai, the very last one, and tossed it toward Gaara.

"Keep it, and toss it if you get into trouble…"

Gaara blinked as he caught it, before nodding at the girl. He tucked it into his robe and walked toward his piling sand.

Naru turned away, launching down the clearing and away from her fellow Jinchuuriki, whose chakra felt more malicious than her own at the moment.

I~~~~I

When it came down to it, Naruko was simply faster than Sasuke.

The Uchiha wanted to deny the fact, wanted to prove it wrong, but deep down he knew he couldn't.

The Uzumaki caught up with him quickly, attacking him from behind just as he broke into a valley.

He ducked under the kunai launched at his head, twisting in order to deflect several others while his eyes closed. His legs hit the ground in a crouch before he rose, his eyes lazily opening to show his sharingan as they narrowed on the blurred red figure dropping down across the valley.

She looked worse for wear, having fought more times than expected and still managing to push further. The girl was tired however, her breathing was labored, and her sharingan wasn't nearly as still as his. However, she still had more chakra than him, and she wouldn't stop coming after him.

The Uchiha didn't understand why, and questioned the Uzumaki of such behavior.

"Why…Why are you still here Naruko?"

Naru's eyes darkened on him, and she stood firmly as she spoke. "You ignored me before, why?"

Sasuke scowled at the girl, sighing heavily as he turned back toward Sound. He didn't want to answer her questions, didn't want to waste time when he could be going after _that_ man that ruined everything. He took one step, before he had to turn sharply and block a fist that could very well have torn his head from his shoulders. His onyx orbs met deep blue, and with a single breath, he pushed Naruko back, just an arm length away.

Silence sparked a duel of blows, Naruko's right arm striking at his chest. Sasuke twisted and dodged the blow, his hand shooting out to hit her neck. The Uzumaki ducked, and the blows started once more. When she attacked, he dodged. When he dealt a blow, she gained ground. When she avoided him, he broke past her defenses, and she returned the favor.

Where they managed to hit one another, bruises formed, and where they managed not to get hit, they were knocked backward. Their limbs danced around the other's, their bodies twisting in sync as they flipped and kicked at one another, aiming to at least stop their opponent for a single moment.

It was only when they met fist to fist that the chakra pushed into each attack sent them apart, the two flying away. They flew over the edge of the statue they had been fighting on, their bodies soaring down toward the river below.

Both the Ninja twisted, landing carefully on the water as chakra was pushed out beneath them. Ripples formed around their feet, each standing tall as they faced their opponent.

Naruko's bangs had fallen wayward to the side of her head, nearly covering up her left eye. Sasuke's hair flew back against his cheeks as a breeze curled in the valley, the sound of the crashing water causing the scene to play out more calmly than it had earlier.

"I'm unsure…of why that is. I see you as someone I care for I suppose Sasuke. It's hard to say when I still have very little left to care for…when only recently I learned exactly what my life played out to be."

Naruko spoke up from her position across from Sasuke, the Uchiha frowning at her before he spoke.

"I have no time to waste here Naru, Itachi…he needs to pay, you know that!"

The red haired Uzumaki bit down on her lip, and gently, she laughed at her opponent. The sound was broken, edged with grief at the loss of someone she accepted caring for, and her unwillingness to sit back and watch it happen.

"Yes, I know exactly how much he needs to pay Sasuke, but you seem to forget that the man you are heading toward _needs to pay just as much._ "

Naruko's legs spread outward, against the moving surface below her. Her eyes shifted, darkening into red slits as red chakra rose up around her in a flurry of expressed anger.

Sasuke froze as the Kyuubi's chakra formed a large cloak around Naruko's body, making her features sharpen into a more vulpine look.

In only a moment she appeared in front of the raven, her arm grasping his neck as fear crept into his obsidian gaze. Every fiber of his body trembled, his skin burning as Naru spoke in a dark raspy voice, her whisker marks twitching along with her words.

" **I won't let you aid Orochimaru!"**

I~~~~I

She paused momentarily as she sensed the burning chakra that had once again been summoned forth into the battle ahead of her position. The chakra was almost as foul as her own, and it was cause enough for Alpha to simply wait for a single moment, and dwell on the odd occurrence.

Alpha only stopped for a moment however, before she started toward the valley where Orochimaru's newest vessel was fighting the strange girl with the even odder chakra.

"Strange…these Jinchuuriki truly are something else."

I~~~~I

He took blow after blow, accepted the strikes whilst trying to retaliate but failing, even whilst the curse mark pulsed on his neck and demanded to be used.

His obsidian eyes never left the bright crimson orbs of his former teammate, never once lost their gaze even when he was tossed around the valley.

The girl never left his gaze either, always keeping her slit pupils centered on him while her chakra formed another tail behind her. Her hair had sharpened into ears, and her whiskers extended all the way across her cheeks. Her clothes were starting to sizzle, and the water beneath Naruko rose into steam.

The Jinchuuriki wasn't holding back, and she wasn't giving Sasuke even a second to release his own hidden power.

Her head rammed into Sasuke's chest and sent him gasping to the water, and for a brief moment he witnessed the flickering in Naruko's eyes, before he let go of his grip on the water and sunk below the surface.

His curse mark burned, and just as it started to grow he lunged from the water, out of the path of his opponent. Seconds later Naru crashed into the water, sending a large spray up into the air that rained down on Sasuke as he felt the marks crawl down his side.

Naruko turned toward him, and her eyes narrowed before she drew her arm back, swiping at him with her claws. The claws extended, and a much darker red chakra shot out at Sasuke.

The Uchiha rolled to the side, wincing as he spotted the blood chakra talons cut through the wall behind him, rocks falling down in a small cascade from the pressure.

Naru rose to her feet again, settling into another stance while Sasuke gripped his hands into fists.

"This power…it's what makes you special, powerful. Just like the power your sister gave you…"

His teeth ground down on each other, and Naruko snarled at him.

" **Don't speak as if you know anything…You truly know** _ **nothing**_ **."**

Naruko was in front of Sasuke again in mere seconds, and only his sharingan saved the Uchiha from having his face scared by the boiling chakra.

He ducked and shifted under Naruko, aiming to kick her legs out from under her. The girl saw this and performed a quick punch as she aimed her fist at his face. The Uchiha blocked, his teeth biting down on his lip as the burning sensation crept along his gloved hands, before the two were at it again. Blows came from both sides, each strike faster and more deadly than the last had been. The sight was one to behold, neither of the younger Ninja giving in to the brutal force of the other. They worked almost in union, sliding around the other along the surface of the water, sending a spray up around them with each kick or punch.

Their breathes came out in sync, and as one's heart beat so did the other's.

Still, their eyes never left one another's, an even fiercer battle raging behind their stubborn eyes.

For the Uchiha, it was against the influence of power.

For the Uzumaki, it was against the urges of her darker half.

They didn't show their troubles, but as they were forced into a stale mate outside their bodies, they were defeated within.

Their arms bet, each of their forearms blocking the other's while their legs interlocked. A deep silence resounded while Naruko's slit pupils shifted, deepening whilst her features changed, the cloak around her body adhering to her skin like fabric, darkening in color.

Sasuke's skin settled into a dull grey, his pupils forming crosses whilst the black coloring became gold. His hair lengthened, dark chakra forming wings out his back while his nails turned to claws.

They both stood across from one another, panting and shaking with each breath as their sharingan met in dark glares.

The female of the two spoke first, settling her Doujutsu on her former comrade.

" **It seems that the cursed seal provides more power than one could imagine."**

Naruko's lips twisted into a scowl, mocking and annoyed, her hand extending forward as she channeled chakra into her palm. Blood chakra surged over her arms and into the swirling sphere.

Sasuke watched with anger as the ball compacted, black chakra mixing with the red, Naruko's body relaxing as her black and red blood chakra grew to surround her body, the kyuubi's cloak fading away while her hair seemed to grow, her eyes becoming a dull red.

" _ **Let's settle this…Uchiha."**_

The voice came from Naruko's lips, but Sasuke knew that it wasn't his teammate's. The voice wasn't the Uzumaki's, it was the one drawn from that damned boy that seemed to live inside her.

(But then again, he wasn't himself either, was he?)

"Fine by me!"

Sasuke shouted out, extending his hand as lightning chakra shot down from it, the murmur of Ichihara's advice echoing in his ears as he put it into the jutsu. A tremor wore at his body while his blood sung for the end of the one before him, a crazed grins stretching over his features.

The boy possessing Naruko sighed, his slit pupils narrowed on Sasuke as the two lunged toward one another, brandishing their respective jutsus. The water flew upward behind them, forming walls against their backs.

The two shinobi met in the middle of the large water wall, black and red chakra slamming into grey, spiraling before they both exploded in a violent shockwave and covered both of their bodies in a blinding light.

I~~~~I

Alpha felt it before she saw the large explosion of surging white chakra, growing ahead of her into a spiraling sphere of natural yin and yang chakra condensed together. The explosion was sucked into itself quickly before it blew outward with such force that Alpha had to stop on her branch lest she fly backward. Her skin burned as the Yin chakra entered the air, however the yang chakra mixed into it managed to heal her wounds as it was cycled into her body.

Her dark eyes narrowed on the site of the dangerous technique, her ruby lips drawn into a sharp line whilst she gathered chakra at her feet.

In an instant her pace picked up and she shot toward her target, expanding her senses whilst she tried to find the willowy-like structure that Uchiha Sasuke's Yin Chakra took the form of.

I~~~~I

His eyes rested on her downed body, her red hair fanning out, mixing with the blood the hole in her chest created. The hole that _their_ technique had caused.

Sasuke coughed, and his own blood splattered onto the face of his rival, the face of his former teammate.

Naru's eyes continued to remain closed, her skin continued to remain pale, and her chest continued to heave as it slowly stitched itself back together from his earlier attack.

Sasuke trembled under the weight of his own arms, the cold sinking into his limbs as his torn shirt was pasted to his body with the falling rain around them.

The rain smelt heavily of blood, and the entire valley was covered in red lacerations of glowing blood chakra, created by the combined attack of Naruko's Blood Rasengan and his Chidori.

Sasuke watched his headband fall forward, dropping to cover the eyes of the girl he had loathed for so long.

The metal covered half her face, her own headband hanging around her neck, nearly falling off.

Shaking his head, Sasuke reached forward and shakily grabbed a Kunai laying beneath Naru's fingers, dragging it over the leaf symbol in a single swipe.

Then, he pushed himself to his feet, the blood rushing to his head at the sudden movement. He felt dizzy, dropping the Kunai as he started to fall. Fatigued rushed through his body as it gave up.

A single moment later, just before his face struck the ground, a long arm caught him. A sigh left red lips as a black haired woman slowly tugged Sasuke to her body, rising from her crouch beside Naruko's body.

The woman gazed down at Sasuke with deep emotion, her eyes softening slightly whilst she spoke to him in a gentle tone.

"Rest brat…You'll be fine."

Sasuke shut his eyes, persuaded by the warmth radiating from the woman, and the smell of white lilies.

I~~~~I

Kakashi found her first, rushing through the muddy undergrowth that surrounded the many trees littering the torn landscape.

He first saw the deep ugly red scars racing along the surface of the ground surrounding the Valley of the End, and then he saw the large crater formed in the sides of the wall by the expansion.

His eyes skipped over those details quickly however, instead landing on the body of the one girl whom he could never seem to get to on time.

She lay on her back near the bank, her body colored red by the blood she lay in, her clothes soaked with rain while lightning scars slowly healed around her still bleeding chest.

A sharp cry tore through Kakashi's lips, and in an instant he and Pakkun dropped down beside the girl, each shuffling over.

Kakashi checked for a pulse first, reaching to push the headband touching Naru's eyes aside.

He froze when her hand reached upward, grasping onto his wrist. Her right eye was revealed, the dark red hue momentarily causing a flinch, as well as the angry mark going across the side of her face.

"S-Sasuke…"

She whispered, a labored and heaving breath leaving her mouth in a half cough.

Kakashi ducked his head, reaching to grasp her hand in his while a shuddering breath left his own lungs. The girl's eyes darkened slightly, before they slipped closed. Her head fell to the side, and Kakashi was quick to carefully lift her into his arms.

"Pakkun, go find Kin Kitsune now! I'm going to head toward Konoha just in case…"

The little ninja pug nodded his head, worry in his brown gaze as it settled on Naruko, before the dog dashed away. Kakashi's grip tightened on Naru's body, and he launched from the valley at breakneck speeds.

I~~~~I

" _Wake-…..we aren't sure….weeks…years…heart stopped…"_

She could hear it all, could feel the gentle touches against her hands form where she lay, but she could not respond. Her heart would beat, but her body would not work.

The chakra surrounded her, drawing at her fears and reassuring her hopes. A deep sense of care, a misplaced sense of admiration, a forced guilt.

Emotions rose and tingled with her senses as Naruko's body stitched itself back together, as the whispers around her reminded her of those on the outside of her mind.

" _ **You feel him don't you…Uchiha Madara."**_

She couldn't reply verbally, but Kurai still knew her answer. The perks of it being her mindscape, she supposed.

" _ **He's changing…you can see it can't you? You can see exactly what he is thinking…what he won't express."**_

She wanted to scoff, even though Kurai was right.

She could feel Kakashi, sitting beside her, clutching her hand almost always as he waited for her to heal. She could sense Sakura standing just outside the door, working with Tsunade and Shizune to get her healed.

She could feel Ichihara sleeping on the bed beside her, forced to rest by Jiraya as he waited in his own chair. Her father wasn't too far behind, standing guard at the door alongside Tobirama.

The Rookie nine waited across the hall, several even resting inside their hospital rooms, Iruka and the other sensei's staying close just in case.

And standing alone, just a few floors above her on a hidden alcove on the roof, Naruko felt Madara meditating.

She could feel his roiling chakra, burning red, black, and a deep warming orange that could easily turn vicious.

Most of all however, Naruko felt the man's changing attitude, and her worry for what these new found revelations would lead too.

" _ **You know exactly what it will bring Naruko. Even I, your enemy…know this."**_

 **This truthfully took** _ **forever**_ **to create. Since the 23** **rd** **of last month till now I've been working on this, 454 minutes in total. I managed to finish it, even if the ending isn't exactly what I wanted. Hell, I finished the end before this. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Alpha, Unknown**

 **Age-Unknown**

 **Gender-Female**

 **Clan(s)-Unknown**

 **Kekai Genkai/Blood Limit- Unknown**

 **Relations-**

 **Omega Shiro:Unknown(Presumed Deceased)**

 **Hidan Of Yugakure:Brother**

 **Orochimaru Hebi Sannin:Master**

 **Unknown:Mother**

 **Unknown:Father**

 **Elemental Affinities-**

 **Yin Chakra(Primary)**

 **Yang Chakra(Supplementary)**


	30. XXX- Finale

**Thirty chapters of this, and I'm ready for it to be done. It was amazing, still is, however I need to have a break. Thank you all so much for the support you have given this story, and let me know your thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer-Because copyright isn't my forte, but writing based off of others ideas apparently is(with permission!), even when I add my own two cents to the mix.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my brother, the sibling I got along with the best, and the one whose hug I still remember back when I was forced into something I'd rather not have been involved in.**

* * *

 _Standing alone, just a few floors above her on a hidden alcove on the roof, Naruko felt Madara meditating._

 _She could feel his roiling chakra, burning red, black, and a deep warming orange that could easily turn vicious._

 _Most of all, however, Naruko felt the man's changing attitude and her worry for what these new found revelations would lead too._

" _ **You know exactly what it will bring Naruko. Even I, your enemy…know this."**_

I~~~~I

Seven days. It took an entire week before Naruko actually woke.

Her eyes flickered open to Kakashi and Sakura talking with Jiraya, a head of raven hair resting at her side whilst a warm body snuggled against her legs on the other side.

Each of them were shocked by this, and in an instant she was being questioned by worried friends and family, gestures of love given to her in a heartbeat as she was told about all that had transpired in her absence.

I~~~~I

News of Naruko's awakening took a day to reach the Council, or at least one member in particular.

The Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi No Kitsune's condition was delivered efficiently to the bandaged man waiting for such information, standing among the leaves outside the village edge.

The report was swiftly followed by a reply.

"Good. Enact the plan, before Tsunade makes a mess of things again."

Danzo turned to glance at his agent, eyes narrowed as he thought in anger about the Godaime's success in keeping the Jinchuuriki under lock and key.

He was surprised to find the agent beheaded, a single ANBU standing behind him the culprit. The ANBU wore an unmarked black mask and the traditional ANBU uniform.

A gunbai rested across his back, and sharingan eyes stared at Danzo from the sockets whilst a wild mane of black hair feel back over Kuroi Kurasu's shoulders.

His hand gripped the handle of the Gunbai, and Danzo's form stood still as the man's fingers rose to his mouth.

I~~~~I

The mask was knocked from his face with the force of the blast.

It wasn't strong enough to kill a Genin, but the blast was still enough to cover the area around the Elder in dust and remove what hid his identity.

Madara had no need for brutal tactics so soon, had no need to hide when this would be his last move, his last effort to protect Naruko before he took the offer given to him by his apprentice.

He appeared before the man, the one who had threatened Naruko if he hadn't come, the one whom wanted her _power_ to himself…The man who would get the wakeup call of death soon enough.

I~~~~I

She knew something was wrong when his chakra spiked, when the emotions Madara had kept locked away condensed and faded away like leaves in a breeze.

Her legs hurt from running, but the sudden spike in chakra that was all too familiar to her made Naruko second guess her healing body and shoot toward the source. She could feel Ichihara following her, shocked at her sudden departure from her bed at home where he had been visiting her.

The Jinchuuriki couldn't bring herself to care about his emotions at the moment however, as fear was breaking apart any logic she actually had left.

I~~~~I

Many times in his long life, Shimura Danzo felt fear. He prided himself on the fact that his fears were still little in number, ranging close to a dozen rather than the average hundred. Still, no fears he had ever had compared to what he felt now, staring into the swirling Sharingan in its first stage that belonged to Uchiha Madara himself. He felt anger beneath his fear, directed toward his friend Hiruzen.

The blasted Sandaime had hidden something this incredible, this dangerous, from him. "You sicken me…Not even I, the famed 'betrayer of Konoha', the 'demon' of the shinobi world, would ever train children in the manner you do."

Uchiha Madara hissed at him, his hand clenching tighter around Danzo's neck whilst the old Nin tried to pry it away with his own hand, the other arm ripped cleanly off, laying to the side in a heep. "And then you have the guts to steal the eyes of people you ordered the death of…people you made an innocent child kill off."

Madara leaned in toward Danzo as he glared at the Uchiha and the traitor Uchiha whispered softly, his voice edged with furry. "But nothing pissed me off more than the fact that you decided to end Namikaze Naruko all because she chose her family, the people that have been there for her, over power."

His eyes spun into more petals as his anger accelerated, killing intent choking the air itself. "To even think you had the right to threaten Naru is laughable. She's mine. Mine to save, mine to hurt, mine to kill. You were never even considered."

With the words said Madara allowed his hand to tighten and the bright purple chakra spread out to form a skeletal being five times the size of a normal human being. Its hands wound around Danzo's form and started to crush him, fear growing inside the old man as he stared his executioner in the eye. "Goodbye."

I~~~~I

Naruko froze at the bloody area before her, her heart clenching in pain as she felt her knees give out. She was too late. She never really liked Danzo, may have even wanted him dead, but knew that she could do nothing about it. Inwardly she heard the echo of Kurai's words, the warning he had given her but she had paid no heed to _ **.**_

' _ **He is the figment of Madara's hatred…with eyes that Madara adored once and he will not cease in his actions until he has retrieved what he lost.'**_

She felt bile rising in her throat at the sight of Danzo's mutilated and scorched body before her, the steps of Ichihara sounding as he landed beside her. She clutched the ground as her head began to pound, the image burnt into her mind due to her activated sharingan.

"D-Dear Kami…"

Ichihara whispered under his breath above her, his hand resting on her shoulder as he too slumped. Naruko felt her vision fog up, just as Kurai reared his head inside of her mindscape.

' _ **You said that he would never do this, would never betray you…However he is only protecting you in this. He is doing this for you.'**_

It was a horrible thought, for Madara to have chosen to leave Konoha because he wanted to protect her. It almost made no sense.

Naru closed her eyes, a whimper escaping her lips as she felt her chest tighten and pain shot through her heart.

Kurai let out a soft sigh in her head before she felt his presence take over her weakened body.

Ichihara backed away when he felt Naruko's chakra changed from blue to red, her red hair forming braids whilst a cloak of red chakra covered her body, before solidifying _ **. "Don't just stand around. Report to the Gondaime…I'm heading out after the bastard."**_

Ichihara was too shocked to stop the possessed girl from leaping away, Kurai's voice a reminder to the Tsunade Retrieval mission that he took part of, to the loss of control that Naruko had displayed when Kabuto and Orochimaru had pushed her too far. "N-Naru…"

I~~~~I

Madara leaned casually against a tree miles outside of Konoha, eyes closed despite his activated Sharingan. He could feel the spike of chakra, coming from Naru as she no doubt discovered the mess he had left near the Namikaze Compound.

He opened his red eyes as the chakra burst into the valley, the host landing on the statue of Hashirama. He was slightly shocked to find that it wasn't Naruko in control, but instead Kurai Hafu.

"I see…she's out of it I presume?"

The Uchiha spoke in a long forgotten tone, one of worry and longing.

Kurai only scoffed at the question, tilting his head to the side as he decided to answer. _**"Thanks in part to you. She's been through so much in the past month. Her mother is resurrected, she dies. She meets Ichihara, he nearly gets killed. Orochimaru mocks her with the knowledge that he could revive her sister, Sasuke leaves to follow the Hebi-Bastard…And now, to top all of it off the first person she opened up to, the one who taught her how to use the gift given to her by her elder sister, is leaving her alone."**_

Kurai spoke up to Madara, his eyes darkened as he thought about the pain that his creator was in. He didn't much care for the girl, however ever since Sashiko's soul was released he couldn't help but feel inclined to protect the last tie he had to her.

"Am I truly leaving her alone?"

Madara spoke, stepping forward as his eyes narrowed on Kurai.

"She drifted away…She has her father and the other Kage, she has what is left of her team, she had the other Uchiha, and she has you and the fox, and she has _Hatake_." He hissed out the last remark, earning him a sneer from Kurai.

" _ **Of course, blame this on those she cares for…Just so you can justify what you are going to do. It's all rather funny really…Just as much as the fact that ninjutsu was based off of the Rabbit Goddess."**_

Kurai caught the shock that briefly passed over Madara, just before he appeared in front of Kurai, grasping his neck in a choke hold. "You…how do you know that?!"

Kurai smirked even more at the man as his eyes began to fade to lavender.

The red chakra fell away, revealing wide blue eyes staring at Madara in fear.

Instantly, as though he had been struck, Madara dropped Naruko in shock. He grit his teeth and backed away as the girl landed on the ground, coughing as she held her neck.

Madara turned, ready to leave when he heard the voice he knew could change his mind. "Madara…"

Naruko's voice sounded almost hollow, but from the look the Uchiha had gotten from the girl's own eyes he knew she wanted to demand answers from him. "Are you going to leave? Join the Akatsuki?"

Normally, Madara couldn't feel his heart, but now it beat franticly. It was only made of sealed ash and yet it functioned like that of an anxious living being.

"Answer me, Madara, you owe me that much don't you?!"

Madara's fists clenched at his sides before he let out a deep breath, forcing back his emotions like he had ever since he was a child.

"Do I really owe you anything Akihane? Truthfully haven't I done enough for you and the village you protect?"

Madara forced himself to look back at the girl he'd be leaving behind, ignoring the betrayal in her darkened eyes.

"I suppose you are correct…still I want you to tell me. I want to know why you are leaving, I want to hear it from your mouth why you killed Danzo!"

The girl pushed herself up onto one knee as she yelled at him, demanding answers. Madara paused in order to watch her stand, before he vanished silently. Naruko did nothing, even when the Uchiha betrayer appeared in front of her, his hand angling her head so she looked into his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Do you truly want to know Akihane? Why I did so much, after so long? Why I am leaving this village once more, becoming it's enemy and in turn yours?"

His voice was barely above a whisper, but the Uzumaki Princess heard it none-the-less.

"Why would I ask if I didn't want to receive?"

As the words left her lips, Madara allowed his sharingan to spin, drawing in the red haired girl into his mind scape. "Very well…"

I~~~~I

It was how they found her later on, slumped against a tree where Madara had left her.

Her eyes were glazed, unshed tears pricking the corners and covering them in a watery haze as her hands clenched at her sides.

Kurai stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest with a carefully constructed visage, standing guard while Naruko stood shakily, staring at the sky while she waited for the sun to set.

Ichihara was shocked and worried at the same time, but a hand brought to his chest stopped him from walking further.

Kurai's red eyes fluttered closed, his white hair brushing along his cheeks in the wind.

" _ **Let her be…she needs this.**_ "

And so the Oreshizoku remained behind, his heart tugging as darkness descended over them and Jiraya and Kakashi joined him. They all watched the changed girl as she continued to stand alone, facing the world before her once more.

I~~~~I

They returned the next morning when Naruko could no longer ignore her burning chest, the injury from Sasuke's betrayal still not healed all the way.

They stepped into the village and the moment that Naru's gaze angled upward she was hugged by a blur of pink, soft sobs leaving Sakura's lips as her arms tightened around Naruko's shoulders.

"I-I thought I lost y-you too…Baka…"

Naruko was frozen, shocked, but not entirely off put. She raised her hands slowly, hugging her fellow Kunoichi back.

"Never…Sakura. I will never leave you behind."

It was a promise, struck true with the conviction and burning betrayal in Naruko's bright blue orbs, the sight engraved in the memory of those watching the exchange, even as the two pulled away and Sakura roughly dried her tears with her fist.

"R-Right. We'll stick together…"

She smiled, her blossom locks brushing her face as her green eyes slipped closed, her right hand drawing out a headband, scratched through the middle with a kunai.

Naruko gripped the headband as well, her other hand touching her chest where the headband's previous owner had driven a Chidori through.

Jiraya and Tsunade shuffled together in their wake, both sighing deeply as they watched the exchange with heavier hearts. Kakashi walked forward, past Kurai and Ichihara, settling his hands on both his remaining students' shoulders as he spoke in whispers to them. They all stood together; united despite the trials they had faced as of late.

I~~~~I

"Y-You've got to be kidding me…N-Not only are you the Y-Yondaime's _daughter…_ You live with the resurrected Hokage?!"

Naruko winced a bit at the volume Sakura had taken too, standing at her father's side, the man newly recovered after being taken down by Madara days prior. She herself was finally healed, and now stood before Sakura and Kakashi alongside Hashirama, Tobirama, and Tenzo. The Mokuton twosome were conversing amongst themselves quietly, Tobirama standing beside Jiraya and Tsunade whilst Ichihara stood with Minato, whose hand had not let go of Naruko's shoulder the entire morning as Naruko revealed what she could to Sakura.

"D-Damn…Shikamaru was right…you are entirely unpredictable…"

Naruko blinked at that, her teammate smiling and shaking her head before stepping forward, reaching to grasp Naruko's other shoulder, her green eyes shining.

"Thanks…for telling me this. I-I know it must be important…so thanks for trusting me."

Naru's eyes lit up and she nodded, a sad smile spreading over her loops before her look changed to indifference. Sakura walked forward and Naruko stepped by her side, the two girls silently conversing for a moment before they nodded toward the elders and left toward Naru's room to converse.

I~~~~I

They chose one their own, exactly what they would do. They needed to train, they need to be strong in order to face Orochimaru, and if possible convince Sasuke to come back.

And so, the two of them first proposed it to Kakashi, whom then agreed to support them.

This lead to all three going to the Senju Brothers, and those five going to Jiraya before the seven of them brought it up with Tsunade.

It was a simple, yet smart plan.

Team Seven, broken but not ruined, would go on an official training trip under the guard of two Treasury ANBU, and the tutelage of the Gama Sennin Jiraya.

The trip would have around a two-year timeline, and they were to keep a low profile while they got ready to face the Akatsuki and Orochimaru.

Tsunade signed off on in with Sarutobi and Ichihara as witnesses.

I~~~~I

There had been extras to the contract, truths withheld from the village yet to be revealed. Naruko chose to have these spoken the day of their departure, even if they were actually scheduled to leave the day after.

She had Tsunade gather the village, Shinobi and Citizens alike, if at different times for the different groups.

The Shinobi were first to know, the day before the public unveiling.

Naruko stood with Kakashi, Sakura, Kin Kitsune, Tsunade, Ichihara, and Jiraya in front of the Shinobi corps, Genin to former ANBU, and even retired ninja and Kunoichi if at a lesser degree.

"I thank you for gathering on such short notice…this is of course a vital matter that was going to be broadcasted to the whole village tomorrow, but the one this news applies to wished to tell the shinobi before the civilians."

Tsunade stepped aside as whispers started, only for the conversation to cease when Naruko stepped forward.

Several of the Chunin and Jonin glared, while most straightened. Naruko's eyes scanned over them all, and she glanced toward Tsunade, who sighed heavily before addressing the shinobi again.

"As most of you know, Thirteen years ago the Yondaime Hokage died in order to fend off the Nine-Tailed Fox from harming the village…it was believed that the Yondaime died without an heir, without someone to carry on his name."

Several Shinobi's eyes showed that they already had guessed exactly what was going to come out of Tsunade's mouth next, but the woman continued anyways as she pulled Naruko in front of her.

"That is a lie because thirteen years ago Namikaze Minato had a daughter named Naruko Akihane Namikaze/Uzumaki."

I~~~~I

The day after the first ceremony, the speech was repeated, and the entire village was drowned in uproars. The civilians of the council where shocked and horrified at the news, while the Shinobi side were all pleased and quite happy that the girl no longer had to hide, if slightly annoyed because it had been so obvious in the first place.

The Elders had tried to incite their own control over Naruko, if only in the smallest of ways, only to later on discover that the Jinchuuriki wasn't even in the village, and hadn't been since the night before.

The meeting that followed only made Tsunade smirk, lean back against her chair and meet the eyes of her godson.

"L-Lady Tsunade, you can't be serious! S-She's the daughter of the Yondaime, you can't just send her out of the village for a t-training trip!"

Tsunade blinked and looked over at the council member, the head of the financials on the Civilian side, as he exclaimed rather loudly why he _believed_ Naruko should be treated like glass.

"It's not up for you to decide, any of you really. She is an adult, and a shinobi. Naru is under my authority, not yours. Also, she already went over everything with me. If she isn't safe with two of the Treasury, my former teammate, her _sensei and teammate_ , then I'm not sure she'd be safe here either."

Tsunade enjoyed watching them splutter, and found herself leaning back once more to enjoy the sight while Ichihara shook his head from beside her, a sad smile on his face.

The Senju reached over, grasping his hand before rising upward, letting him go as she turned to leave. "This meeting is dismissed. Shukaku, I need you for a moment."

The Nara groaned but rose and followed his Hokage out, muttering about something troublesome as the Shinobi side of the council filed out, gently pushing the stunned civilian side along.

Once they had exited the room, Tsunade scoffed and rubbed her head, Ichihara shaking his head as he reached and grasped his godmother's shoulder.

"Tsuna-?"

Tsunade paused to grip his hand, squeezing gently as she glanced over her shoulder at the Uchiha. Ichihara froze for a moment, his eyes widening in shock at the gentle look she had given him.

"Come on, let's get a drink while we talk. It's about you, after all, so you'll need it."

Ichihara's eyes softened and he nodded back, the Nara watching the whole event glancing to the side.

Even an old man such as Shukaku could tell the look in Tsunade's eyes meant trouble, but he very well couldn't complain _too much_ , since it involved the son of one of his friends.

"I take it this is about what Michiko left me before she died, correct Lady Hokage?"

He spoke after the doors shut behind him, the walls glowing faintly as they sealed themselves shut.

Tsunade only straightened, walking to stand at her perch watching over the village.

"You could say that…Shukaku."

I~~~~I

The wind felt nice against her face, breaking past the sweat to cool down the relaxed Jinchuuriki.

Her face was angled toward the sun, making the bright gold skin glisten while her red hair brushed it gently, the spikes flying backward in the breeze.

Naruko's deep blue eyes opened to scan the sky, a deep breath leaving her lungs as she sat upward, flipping over her position on a rocky outcropping.

Ahead of her, she spotted the opening of a desert, and she shook her head gently before continuing onward. As she approached the edge, several figures came into view, a pink haired girl waving her over with a cry.

"Hurry up Naruko! I don't want to be late!"

Naru shook her head, but pushed her legs forward with a burst of chakra, her stomach tingling.

She hadn't felt this free in years, hadn't felt the chains come off in so long.

In the back of her mind, she could see a small smile.

I~~~~I

Naruko didn't see the red head hanging out behind the group, further away than Naruko had been before.

The figure turned and walked away when the red head reached her group, pulling his hood over his head.

The man then vanished in a brief flash, leaving behind an imprint in the rock.

A circle, with a traditional fan in the middle crossed through with three different blades, swirls fading into the background with three tomo hanging around the first ring, forming a Y formation.

* * *

 **That took** _ **forever**_ **, but it's worth it. It took me over a year, which is insane, but still awesome. Thank you all so much for reading this entire series, and sticking through the entirety of its craziness and plot failures! I may go back over it, redo some chapters and such, but It depends on when I have time or want to. Honors classes aren't too hard, but school in general can simply wipe you out. Thankfully testing hasn't started just yet, but it will soon. I also have a book report to write, so yay. Anyways, thanks for reading, review if you have questions or simple want the last word in. Look forward the Shippuden part of the universe, The Chosen Jinchuuriki.**

 **The Chosen Jinchuuriki, Preview-**

 _A smile graced her lips, pixie cut red hair winding around her head in heavenly spikes. Her tanned skin showed that she was outside most of the time, and her blue eyes displayed mirth as she walked along side Jiraya, Kakashi, Sakura and two figures wearing cloaks, both taller than Jiraya._

 _The taller of the cloaked figures stepped up to her, chuckling softly. "Glad to be home, Hime?"_

 _Kakashi peaked over his book at his two grown students, giving an eye smile toward Jiraya as the Sannin glanced at him. Jiraya only shook his head with a heavy chuckle, gazing back toward his home. "Hmm, it has been a while, hasn't it Akihane?"_

 _Naru turned around so she was walking backward, a light smile spreading over her lips as she nodded. "Of course, Ero-Sensei."_

 **I~~~~I**

 _Whispers of the wind, brushing across tanned skin as green eyes narrowed and observed the desert expanding in front of them. Three sets of steps, two black cloaks with red clouds, another a black trench coat with silver seals winding down the shoulders and arms in the form of dragons. Two straw hats, and one spiky head full of red locks with white and black streaks. Bells jingled from the edges of the hats, a soft huff leaving the mouth of one of the covered men standing behind the red haired male leading his companions through the desert._

" _Shi, how much further until we reach Suna, un?"_

 _The boy at the front blinked and his eyes lost their depth while he turned to face the two men behind him._

" _I'd say an hour. Sasori-Sama?"_

 _Sasori looked up, his features revealed from und his hat. He was no longer the red haired male that aided Temashi, but instead he was a balding hunchback with a cloth covering the lower half of his face. His eyes were a dark hazel that bore into the green orbs of the boy before him._

" _I agree…it won't be much longer until we can obtain the One Tails."_

 _The boy smiled gently as he turned back toward Suna, his eyes growing lighter in the middle, darkening around the edges as yellow sparks shot from his shrinking pupil, a thin ring of black surrounded the smaller iris. "Yes…Not much longer at all."_

 **I~~~~I**

 _His eyes drifted uncaringly over Kabuto's head, toward the girl standing beside him. She was quite short, just barely reaching his chin, but she was anything but 'easy' to kill._

" _Sasuke-Kun, I would like to introduce you to my newest…associate. You may actually know her, at least by name."_

 _The girl's eyes rose, and the Uchiha's own filled with shock as the swirling but cracked red orbs of the blue haired girl met his own._

" _Oreshizoku Sashiko…the key to destroying your former teammate."_


End file.
